I Fear: Fear
by CowabungaBooyakasha
Summary: She is brave now. She is strong now. She wouldn't want to be anything less. But when the mysterious people in black come and take everything from her, her courage is put to the test. She needs to protect herself and her brother whilst running from the one thing she's afraid of. Fear. Rated T for language and blood (not a gruesome story but just to be on the safe side!)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_**Hi! I finally decided to write a fanfic... yay! *Applause, maybe a couple of 'whoops' for my gratification* This is my first one so no flames please... ENJOY!**_

What do I fear most?

Now, most people have the usual, common fears. The dark, spiders, clowns. Now, I'll admit, clowns are a tad creepy but I love the dark. It conceals the things you don't want to see and protects you from the things you don't want to be seen by. Spiders…well….I just don't like them. No matter what anyone says I am NOT afraid of them.

I used to be afraid, weak. I moved from my old elementary school in England to a new one in New York. Man, being the new girl at a new school in a new country is damn hard! And 11 year olds can be vicious! I used to take the bullying I got from being the girl with the red hair, freckles and braces. You'd think people would come up with a cleverer name than "brace-face" I mean come on! That is so old. But I still cried a little when I got home and my momma would comfort me and tell me to stand up for myself. I tried but it just didn't work.

It was when I finished elementary school that I decided to start fresh. I finally got my braces off and I found the confidence in myself that I was missing all those years before. I became stronger physically and mentally and I finally stood up for myself. It was when I encountered two bitches during my first month of middle school. They were both completely two faced and they pretended to be my friend. I never really liked them anyway. I got a bad feeling about them the first time I saw them. The next day they turned on me and somehow found it hilarious that I believed that they were my friends. I wasn't upset about it. I just thought they were stupid. Thing is they weren't the classic popular girls who feed on the insecurity of their classmates. No, those people just ignored me and I'm perfectly fine with that. These girls weren't actually liked by anyone at school so they had nothing better to do other than spending their time envying people and trying to ruin their lives.

One day they were picking on me because I came to school wearing army trousers and combat boots. I never was the girly type. Anyway, they started pushing me up against the lockers saying how I didn't belong here and how I should just go crawl back to the hole I came from. The 'leader' of the two was all up in my face and she slapped me. It didn't hurt one bit and it was then that I realized I could take them both. I kicked her in the shin and punched her in the face. She got a bleeding nose and the two ran off. Who knew that those two simple moves would change my school life forever?

The next day, when I walked in through the school doors everyone turned to look at me. I figured that the incident the previous day had gotten out and now everyone would consider me as the weird girl with anger issues. So I just ignored them and walked passed with my head held high. I was halfway to my locker when this guy with short blonde hair stopped me. He smiled and said "'Bout time someone taught those chicks a lesson." I grinned at him and from that day on he became the closest thing I had to a friend. I didn't have many friends but that's not because I wasn't liked. No, since that day I became rather popular and I got a reputation as "the girl nobody messes with." I didn't have friends because I simply didn't feel the need for one. I was very independent and I guess you could call me a loner. But that's fine. I like being by myself.

My momma and papa were always proud of me because no matter what situation I was in, no matter where I was, I never changed who I was to please people or to try and "fit in." Truth is no one who is being themselves really "fits in." The people who do "fit in" are concealing their true personality to be like someone else who they admire. They're no longer unique or original in their own special way. It's good to stand out from the crowd.

So that brings me back to the question. What do I fear most?

Well, when I compare the miserable life I had in elementary school to the decent one I had in middle school I realize just how weak I was back when I was bullied. I realize how I hate weakness. I realize that when I'm not good at something, like standing up for myself, it means that I'm weak in that area. So, I want to be the best…in the most humble way possible, because if I'm the best, I am strong.

So I suppose I fear weakness. I fear becoming what I once was: a weak, pathetic little girl. I fear becoming afraid.

I fear: fear.


	2. Chapter 1

**_Hiya! Thank you soooooo much for the reviews! Even though I only got two they both made my day!_**

**_Disclaimer: I obviously don't own the turtles, much to my displeasure_**

**_I forgot to do that last time… Oops! Oh well. ENJOY!_**

**Chapter 1**

We ran. We ran as fast as we fucking could. Why the hell were these people chasing me and my little brother? I had no idea. I had no idea why these people came to our apartment, broke through our windows in the middle of the night and set the whole bloody place on fire. I had no idea why my parents, whilst struggling against the hold of five men in black suites, were ordering me to grab my 11 year old brother and run as fast and as far away as we possibly could. I had no idea why my momma was frantically gesturing to the top drawer in the desk with her head. I had no idea that, when I opened the drawer, I would find an envelope with my name on it. What I did know is that when they told me to get the hell out of there, I was in shock and felt that I had no mind of my own so I just did as they asked. Whilst having a major coughing fit, I snatched my brother from his bed, despite his loud complaints. How he managed to withstand unconsciousness with the racket is beyond me. I jumped out the already broken window onto the fire escape, but not before kicking a black clad guy, who tried to grab us, in the balls.

Once we were on the old fire escape, my brother realized the situation we were in. I ordered him to get on my back and he did as he was told…for once. I climbed down the ladder, slipping on the last step due to the ice. Stupid winter! I half growled, half whimpered as my knees smashed down onto the cold ground below.

"They're coming!" my brother exclaimed, desperately clinging around my neck. I wasted no time in standing and sprinting out of the alley, avoiding the frozen puddles of ice. I fled from the suffocating smoke which I, when I looked back, could see had engulfed the entire building. I turned back around, my eyes as wide as saucers. I had no idea what to think. I had no idea what to do, where to go. So I just went where my legs took me. My brother's head was buried into the back of my neck and I could feel his warm tears trickling down my cold, pale skin, sending shivers up my spine. I darted across the street to an old junk yard, packed full of broken cars, abandoned chairs and all the damaged objects you could think of. I figured there'd be loads of hiding places where we could stay till the morning. As I ran around what seemed like the thousandth junk pile, I saw the vibrant colours of flames coming from a garbage can with about ten people standing around it. There was also a child, who looked to be about my brother's age. He was standing next to the fire with his hands out, palms facing the warm flames. I guessed they were homeless since no one else would willingly spend a night at a junkyard. As I ran up to them they all turned to look at us. I didn't know if this was a good idea but I figured I had nothing to lose.

"We need to hide," I panted. "Now."

An old woman, who was closest to me, nodded and quickly led me to the nearest junk pile. She had wiry grey hair which clung to her head like thorns on a bush. She had tanned skin which matched her dark brown eyes and she, like the rest of the people outside, was wearing old pieces of dirty clothing which had been collected over the years.

She pushed aside an old blanket to reveal a room concealed by junk. It was incredible. They had collected old furniture and used them to make a sort of house and there were candles illuminating the entire room. It felt so homely and safe.

"Here," the woman said, handing me two old, woollen blankets.

"Thank you, Miss," I said, taking them from her. I set my brother down and dried his eyes, wrapping a blanket around him and one around me. She gestured to an old bed, tucked up in the corner. I sat down and pulled my brother onto my lap, gently rocking him as he leaned against me. The woman came and sat next to me and we all sat in silence for a few minutes.

"May I ask who you are hiding from?" she asked. I couldn't blame her for wanting to know but the thing is, _I_ didn't even know.

"I don't know who I'm hiding from," I admitted, stroking my brother's shaggy brown hair. "I really don't know. These people dressed in black came and destroyed my home. I have no idea who they are."

"Dressed in black you say? Hmm. I think the people you are speaking of are the Foot," she said.

"Excuse me?" What the heck is a foot?

"The Foot is an ancient Japanese ninja clan who migrated over to America many generations ago. They roam the city almost every night, serving for their master. Now, I do not know who their master is but I do know that he is dangerous. He is feared by his clan and he is unforgivably vicious. His clan isn't nearly as lethal as he is but nothing will stand in their way of fulfilling their master's needs."

"So you're telling me that for all the years that I've lived here, there have been ninjas roaming the city, serving for their evil master?" I asked slightly sceptical at first, but then again, I had just seen them with my very eyes. She nodded her head slowly.

"Child, I fear you and your brother are in great danger. When the Foot want something, they get it."

I was silent. By now my brother was sat upright, staring intently at the woman with wide eyes. The tense silence was broken by a sudden, blood curdling scream which was shortly followed by a deafening yell. I immediately stood and threw my brother behind me.

The old woman grabbed me by the elbow and said, "There is a way out the back. Whatever you do keep running and do NOT look back." I nodded frantically and followed her, dragging my brother behind me. She told me to move an old closet which covered up an opening. I bent down so my brother could jump on my back again and I ran back outside.

"Go!" The woman shouted. "Go and don't turn ba-"

As I sprinted, I turned to see what had cut her off… but I wish I hadn't. What I saw would haunt me forever. What I saw had me frozen in my tracks. A ninja – a Foot – was towering over the fallen body of the old woman. Her kind brown eyes turned cold, lifeless. Her wiry grey hair dyed red in her own blood. The Foot slowly drew the sword which was ploughed through her stomach, savouring the feeling of power. The thick, red liquid was visible even from where I stood, the moon's light reflecting off the sword. I watched as three droplets of blood fell, in slow motion, from the lethal weapon.

_Drip. Drip. Drip. _

I could see the camp from here too and I saw that everyone had evacuated the area except for one. One was lying sprawled out on the floor lying in a puddle of his own blood. His face frozen in an expression which displayed pain, shock and absolute terror. It was the little boy who I saw earlier, the one who reminded me so much of my little brother.

My little brother… I had to get him out of there. So I ran.

_**That was quite a short chapter but there will be longer ones to come. Toodles!**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**I'm back with another chappy! Thank you for the reviews**_

_**ENJOY!**_

**Chapter 2**

My heart pounded against my ribs, seeming to vibrate my entire body. My lungs were violently begging for oxygen but the crisp winter air grew more and more painful with every intake of breath. I was too panicked to care about my ankle, which had been sprained when I foolishly slipped on a frozen puddle. My bruised knees weren't making the circumstances any better. Neither was the extra weight of my brother on my back. I told him to keep his head down and close his eyes as I ran for both of our lives.

I don't know how long or far I ran. I even lost track of _where _I ran. This whole city was fraught with danger… where could we go? Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, keeping me going. It was a miracle that I hadn't passed out from exhaustion.

I learned that the ninjas travelled up on the roves so I intended to stay on the sidewalk and not go down into any alleys as I would've easily been cornered.

Three of the ninjas leapt down from the building to my right and landed in front of me. How the heck did they not break their ankle? Or leg for that matter. I turned to run behind me only to find, to my dismay, that I was surrounded. My only option was to go into an alley, which was obviously where more ninjas were prowling, waiting to pounce. It was a lose, lose situation, but I figured it was better to live a little longer and lose than to die quicker and lose.

I ran into the alley on my right, ducking under the ninjas as they jumped to grab us. I slowly backed away from them, stumbling over a garbage bag but quickly regaining my balance. I felt that I had reached a wall so I let my brother slide off my back and set him on his feet. I spread my arms out in front of him to try and shield him from the oncoming Foot.

They drew their weapons and stood in an intimidating stance. I felt something hard and cold on my hand and I grasped it. It was an old metal pipe that my brother had handed to me, covered in gritty rust.

One of the ninjas leapt forward and swiped his katana. I smashed the pipe down onto it to block it. Raising the pipe, I kicked him on the shin to distract him and swung it at his head. I heard the crack as the pipe collided with his skull. I didn't know if I should feel satisfied or horrified… The next thing I knew he was unconscious in a heap on the ground. I felt a swell of pride inside of me and an ounce of confidence to keep me going.

The next one had a pair of nunchucks and he twirled them at such a speed that I almost couldn't see them. He swung at my head but I ducked, barely avoiding the blow which would've given me a serious headache. I swung the pipe again, aiming for his head but one of his nunchucks wrapped around it and he flung is aside.

_Crap._

How the hell could I beat a ninja without a weapon?! I tried to endure the adversity with as much courage as I could gather, if not for me, for my brother. He came at me again and I attempted to dodge but he caught the side of my face. The impact was overwhelming and I stumbled backwards and tripped over some garbage, falling next to a dumpster. I felt the blood seep out of my split lip and trickle down my chin, the intense taste of the crimson fluid almost making me gag. He slowly walked towards me and bent down to my level so we were face to face.

"Now, why don't you come with us like a good little girl? Our master would like a word with you." He spoke to me like I was four. I hated it when people spoke down to me. The white cloud of his breath in the bitter night air brushed across my face, making my cheeks tingle.

_Geez, hasn't this guy heard of a mint? _I thought.

I spat in his face. "_Never_."

He chuckled a low, humourless chuckle that sent shivers up my spine. He slowly lifted his hand to wipe his face and whilst it was lifted, he back handed my face. It happened so fast that his hand was just a blur. He grabbed my head and slammed it on the dumpster I was sat next to, making my forehead bleed. My vision went fuzzy as my head swam.

"Thought you might say that," he said, grinning. He went over to my brother who was pressing himself up against the wall, almost trying to disappear into it. The ninja grasped my brother's shirt and raised his fist threateningly. I felt the corners of my mouth turn upward when my brother kicked the ninja where it hurts.

_Man, I taught him well. _I thought.

The Foot ninja growled. He grabbed my brother's neck and thrust him into the air. My eyes grew wide when he whimpered, wheezing when he tried to breathe. I jumped to my feet and was about to charge when the third Foot ninja, who I had completely forgotten about, kicked the back of my knee. I fell to the ground as he grabbed me by my hair and yanked my head back.

"Have you changed you mind yet?" The Foot holding my brother asked, smiling an evil, toothy smile.

"Fine. I'll go with you. Just put. Him. Down." He threw my brother to the ground and I heard my brother desperately gasping for air. I snarled and I slowly got back to my feet but the ninja holding me didn't let go.

I heard a light thump beside me, coming from the shadows, so I turned my head. The Foot seemed to hear it too, and their grip tightened on their weapons.

Everything was silent.

Something was there within the shadows, concealed by the safety of the darkness. Something was watching, waiting. I felt the shudder of the ninja holding me. What could possibly be intimidating enough to scare these psychos?

The quiet was plagued with tension. It promised peril. I strained my ears, peering into the depths of the shadows.

A short cry pierced the silence. I snapped my head back to my brother, praying to find him unharmed. I found him still sitting on the ground, eyes wide, and… alone. The ninja had completely vanished.

I heard a struggle coming from the depths of the shadows and the ninja holding my hair loosened his grip ever so slightly. I figured it would be my best chance to get away while he was distracted. I slammed my foot down on his and lowered my head only to smash it back into his. That'll give him a nose bleed to remember. I heard a satisfying grunt of pain and the soft thud of his body falling.

I hurried towards my brother and helped him off the ground, a bewildered expression still evident on his face. My eyes scanned the alley, searching for the first ninja. He was lying on the ground, the top half of his body visible and bloody, but the rest was concealed by the shadows.

There was someone else there. I could feel the eyes burning into me; I could feel them watching my every move. I let go of my brother and slowly, ever so slowly, approached where I _knew_ someone was hiding. I raised my hand and reached out towards them, but something stopped me. Out of the darkness, a huge, green, three-fingered hand snatched my wrist, making me and my brother gasp. I kicked it in the shin and it immediately let go of me. I heard a short grunt of pain as I stumbled backwards to my brother and watched in awe as the creature gradually stepped out of the shadows.

It was amazing. I guessed that 'it' was a 'him' due to his size and shape. He had _green _skin with _three _fingers and a _SHELL _for God's sake! He was about a head taller than me and bald. I figured he was a weird turtle/human mutant…thing… I don't know why, but what shocked me the most was the fact that he was wearing clothes…well, if you could call them clothes. He was wearing an orange mask around his eyes, knee and elbow pads, and a belt which held two pairs of nunchucks.

He must have known I was studying him because he shifted awkwardly under my gaze. My brother recovered from his shock quicker than me and stepped forward.

"Cool…" he whispered. I shoved him behind me again and glared at the creature. I wondered if he could talk, so I decided to find out.

"Who are you?"I growled.

"What?" He asked. "No scream? No running away in terror? You got guts, dudette, I'll give you that. But what are you doin' runnin' around in the middle of the night with a bunch of Foot ninjas chasin' after ya?"

_So he _can _speak _I thought. "You didn't answer my question. Who. Are. You?"

"I could ask you the same thing. But since you asked first… Michelangelo. But you can call me Mikey," he said, holding out his hand and winking. I eyed his hand cautiously and made no move to shake it.

"Never mind then," he said, withdrawing his hand. "Well, I told you mine. What's yours and the little dude's?"

I hesitated but finally said, "Karianna Evans. Kara." I looked at him uncertainly. "This is my brother, Alex." Alex stepped forward and looked at him curiously.

"So, are you a ninja too?" He asked, taking note of his weapons.

Mikey grinned and raised his head a little."Yep! Me and my bros are the best of the best! But I'm way more awesome than them so that makes me the best."

"There are more of you?" I asked. His cockiness faded as he realised the information he had just revealed.

"Er… Yeah there are… so whatcha do that made the Foot want ya?" He asked, changing the subject.

"We did nothing," I said a tad harsher than I intended. He stepped back a little and held up his hands.

"Woah dudette, I'm not accusing you of anythin. The Foot are bad news. They're after me and my bros too." That peaked my interest, but I decided to leave it. We needed to get away from the city and fast.

"Well, we better get going. Nice meetin you and all but I'll bet there's an army of ninjas heading this way right about now. Do you know where a hotel is or something?" I said, turning towards the exit of the alley.

"Kara we can't just leave!" My brother exclaimed but I shushed him.

"You don't have a place to stay?" Mikey asked. I shook my head. "Well… I don't think my bros would mind having you stayin' with us for a little while…well Leo might at first but he'll warm up to ya!"

"We're not going anywhere with you." I said, pulling my brother to me and backing away a little.

"Come on, dudette. I'm not gonna hurt ya." He said. He did look sincere, but not enough for me to be tempted into going to a strange guy's… ahem… _turtle's _home.

"We're being wanted by a ninja clan who, so I'm told, _always _get what they want. How do I know you're not in league with them and leading us into a trap?" I said, glaring my most intimidating glare. My blue eyes turned as cold as ice as I fixed him with a stare which would make any grown man piss his pants.

"Kara..." My brother said quietly, pulling me aside.

"What?" I snapped.

"He helped us when the ninjas attacked us. Without him we'd probably be dead or worse," he reasoned.

"This could all be part of some sick little plan to get information out of us," I whispered. I bet Mikey could still hear us, being a ninja and all but we still spoke quietly.

"What information?! We have no idea why they're after us and neither does he! He seems willing to help and he seems like a nice guy! Besides, where else are we gonna go? We can't just wonder the streets all night."

I sighed. My dear brother: The official voice of reason.

"Fine… but if we end up getting killed by this guy do NOT blame me! One incident and we're outta here."

I huffed and turned back to Michelangelo, who was waiting awkwardly. "Fine. We'll go with you." He grinned at me.

I slowly walked forward and stood up on my toes so I was an inch from his face. He had to look at me cross eyed because I was so close. "But if you _ever _even _think _about laying a hand on my little brother, I will _personally_ rip out your spleen and beat you to death with it," I said, low enough to ensure Alex didn't hear.

He gulped. "Yes ma'am."

He grabbed some sort of communication device from his belt which was in the shape of a… shell? Huh. A turtle with a shell for a cell… typical.

"Hey Leo… Yeah I'm fine… No I didn't get the pizza…Long story. Listen I'm gonna bring a couple of people home with me, okay?" I could hear a startled "WHAT?!" on the other end followed by what sounded like a lecture. I had a feeling this "Leo" was the oldest.

"Calm down, bro. It's all good. Be home in a few. Bye."

I could hear a faint "No, Mikey! DON'T-" but he was cut off when Michelangelo hung up.

"All aboard the Mikey Express! Destination: home!" He said, clearly excited to be escorting two new people to his home.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I said uncertainly. Heck, _I _wasn't even sure that this was a good idea. He nodded. "Where is exactly is 'home' anyway?" He coughed nervously and looked down.

"Er… about that." He gestured to a manhole and I cringed. I could handle mud but digested food coming from stangers' you-know-where? But I figured I had no choice.

"Of course it is," I sighed. "Can't believe I'm gonna do this…" I mumbled as he opened up the manhole and climbed down. The disgusting stench of the sewers wafted up to me and Alex, making us cringe.

"My, what a wonderful smell I've discovered," I said sarcastically.

"Alrighty, dudette just jump down and I'll catch ya."

I snorted. "I am perfectly capable of climbing down a ladder." Once again he raised his hands in a surrendering pose but this time he laughed.

"What?" I snapped as I carefully climbed down the ice-coated ladder.

"Your accent is funny," he chuckled.

"We're from England, genius. And what about you Mr. Surfer Dude?" When I reached the bottom, my brother chucked down the two blankets, which had fallen on the floor during the fight, and he began climbing down.

"Touché." Michelangelo said.

"Get on my back," I instructed to my brother once he had reached the bottom.

"Again?" He whined.

"Yes, again. I'm not having the only pair of shoes you have being covered in shit. Now get on." He huffed as he climbed on for the third time that night. I'm surprised my back hadn't bent out of shape.

"Uh, sorry bout this but…" He took off his mask held it up. "I'm gonna need you to where this."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not putting that on me."

"Aw, come on dudette. My bros are gonna _kill _me for just taking you to the lair! Master Splinter is gonna kill me if you find out where it is… so… please? I'm not gonna hurt you," he insisted.

"You're pushing it," I warned.

Alex nudged me and gestured for me to take it. I glowered at him and sighed. "Fine. But do _not _let me slip, trip or bump into anything with slime on it," I said, making a disgusted face at the walls.

"Deal. Alex, could you put a blanket over your head or something?" Mikey asked as he tied the mask around my eyes with the eye holes on the back of my head. Alex nodded and did as he asked. He spun us both around so we wouldn't know the direction we were facing and began leading us to the "lair."

"By the way, what the heck is a lair?" I asked.

"And who's Master Splinter?" Alex added, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"The lair is what we call our home and Master Splinter… he's our father and sensei. He taught us everything we know. He'll explain that to you later."

It was a pretty long walk to the lair. Mikey was cracking the occasional joke, making my brother burst out laughing and me roll my eyes.

"Ah," Mikey sighed in content. "Home, sweet home!" I heard the movement of bricks and I wondered what was going on. He guided us both in and I heard the bricks moving again. He removed the mask and blanket from me and my brother.

"Wow…" I heard Alex say as he slid off my back. This place was frickin amazing. It was absolutely massive! There was a living room, a kitchen and a subway car with a metal door. I wondered where they slept, until I saw a flight of stairs which must lead to their rooms. There was also a sliding door, decorated with some kind of Japanese tree with pink and white flowers. There were two other sliding doors which were partially open. It looked like there was a big training room or dojo or something in there. It didn't look like it was located in the sewers at all and it certainly didn't smell like it was.

"KARA!" Alex's yell snapped me out of my daydream. I blinked a couple of times and I was met with the tip of a katana and an angry turtle. I tilted my head back a little and glared at the blue clad turtle who was wielding the deadly weapon.

"Get out of our house."

_**Hope you liked it! I didn't want Kara to be saved by Mikey and I didn't want her to be a damsel in distress. Not all girls need saving! **_


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**_I do not own the song "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne I have just shortened it._**

I took a slow, deep breath to calm my nerves. It's not every day a girl comes face to face with a giant, katana-wielding turtle.

Standing behind him were two other turtles. One was wearing a purple mask and had a bo staff strapped to his back. He was standing with his hands hooked in his belt, like you would with pockets. He seemed cautious but calm.

The other was a completely different story. He was a much darker shade of green than his brothers and he wore a blood-red mask. He stood with his arms crossed in an intimidating stance. He had two sais tucked into his belt and he looked on edge. What shocked me most were his eyes. They were bright and golden, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Man, he was glaring at me like I kicked his grandma. Who did he think he was?

I raised my eyebrow and looked him up and down... that's right I gave him the elevator eyes. My temper flared, but I figured that I was in no position to insult anyone. It was an ultimate glaring match, blue vs. gold.

"Woah! Hey, Leo, back off alright? They're not enemies!" Mikey shouted, pulling me away from the pointy metal sword and standing in front of me.

"Mikey! How could you bring two _complete _strangers here?! You didn't even ask for my, or Master Splinter's, permission! You're risking the safety of our family with them simply being here!" The one wearing the blue mask, who I assumed was Leo, exclaimed.

"They're not strangers! This is Karianna and this is Alex," Mikey said, pointing to both of us.

"That's not the point!" The two went on bickering for about five minutes as we all stood awkwardly, my brother grasping my hand.

"ENOUGH!" Shouted a voice which clearly held authority. Leonardo and Michelangelo immediately stopped outside of the door with a tree on it, stood an old rat. A humanoid rat with grey fur and a thin white beard, wearing a traditional Japanese kimono, speaking in a strong Asian accent… What a night, huh?

"What is going on here?" He demanded. He spotted me and Alex standing by the entrance/exit. He studied us both and met my eyes. His beady little eyes seemed as if he could see right through me to my very soul; see all my deepest secrets, my every flaw.

"Ah," He said. "I see the people you informed me of have arrived, Leonardo. Michelangelo, please make them feel at home." He said after he'd scrutinized us, gesturing to the living room. Mikey nodded and showed us to the sofa.

"Sensei, are you sure about this?" Leonardo whispered.

"No, my son, I am not. But all I can see now are two confused, frightened people in need of a place to rest. I will be able to tell more when they have told their story."

Master Splinter and the rest of the turtles came over to join us on the sofas. I was sat in the middle of the larger one, with Alex next to me. Mikey was on my other side, suddenly seeming quite protective.

_Okay. Mikey is definitely my favourite. _I thought.

"We shouldn't be here," I whispered, more to myself than anyone.

"Don't worry, Kar. I won't let anything happen to ya," he said, patting my knee.

"Kar?" I asked. No one's ever called me "Kar."

"What? I thought it was cute," he said, shrugging and making me roll my eyes.

I looked around at all of the turtles. Red was standing with his arms crossed, glaring at me I ignored him. Purple was just standing casually against the wall and Blue, or Leo, was also standing with his arms crossed. I guessed he played some kind of high role in this unique family. He had that whole "leader" vibe goin' on.

Master Splinter cleared his throat from where he was sitting in a big, brown armchair. It looked really old but _really _comfortable.

"What is your name, child?" He asked, looking at me with those beady eyes of his.

"Karianna. Karianna Evans. But everyone calls me Kara," I said. I nudged my brother and he spoke up.

"And I'm Alex," he added. Master Splinter smiled at him. His smile was kind, gentle and it made me much less tense knowing that at least _someone _here, other than Mikey, had the capability to smile.

"Miss Evans," he said. I guess he didn't get the hint that I wanted him to call me Kara… "I think an exchange of stories is in order. If we tell ours first would you mind telling us yours?"

I hesitated. I wasn't sure if I was prepared to tell my whole life story to a bunch of strangers, but I figured I owed it to them so I nodded.

"But first I must ask you this," he paused. "What you have witnessed is a rare sight to behold. It is also a sight that must be kept hidden at all costs; for certain people want to posses the knowledge of our whereabouts and potentially tear our family apart. So, I ask you: will you keep our existence a secret? For our sake and your own." Everyone's attention was on me now, awaiting my answer.

"Of course. But that's only if you don't turn us in to the Foot," I reasoned. Master Splinter seemed taken aback by this. I didn't know if it was because I had presented a condition or whether it was because I mentioned the Foot.

He nodded then looked at my brother. Alex glanced at me and I nodded.

"I swear," he said.

"Good. Now, nineteen years ago, when I was still a common rat…"

* * *

**_Half an hour later…_**

Me and Alex sat there with our mouths hanging open. Who knew some alien gunk, or "ooze" as they called it, even existed let alone creating a whole family of MUTANTS!

"Are you sure I'm not dreaming? I got hit pretty hard in the head… Isn't that scientifically impossible?"

"Ain't us bein' here enough proof?" Raphael said in a strong Brooklyn accent, I noticed. I glared at him and he did the same back.

"Raphael," Master Splinter scolded. Raphael huffed and rolled his eyes, leaning up against the wall. We learned, from the story, the names of them all. The oldest in blue: Leonardo, the second oldest in red: Raphael, the second youngest in purple: Donatello and the baby of the family: Michelangelo.

"Miss Evans, would you mind telling us your story?" He asked. I was still a little wary of them and they clearly felt the same way. I didn't want them to think I was guilty of something. That could put us in a dangerous situation. I figured telling our story would help to vindicate us so I took a deep breath and began to tell our tale…

"Well, me, my brother and our parents all lived in England. When I turned 11 and when Alex was 5, we moved to Manhattan. We attended elementary school and… let's just say my first year in America didn't go as well as I'd hoped." Master Splinter raised his eyebrow at this, as did Leonardo, but didn't question it. I continued, "I left elementary school and started middle school and then went on to high school. The usual. It was all going fine till tonight. These people in black suites broke into the apartment." THAT caught their attention. "My parents told me to take Alex and run. We ran to the junk yard in hopes of hiding and staying there the night. I met an old homeless woman and she said that the ninjas are called the Foot. The Foot came again and they…" I swallowed. " They _killed _all of the homeless people there." Everyone was silent. I took a deep breath before continuing. "We ran into an alley, Michelangelo came, and here we are…"

"So you just _abandoned_ your parents?!" Raphael exclaimed with brazen disregard for my feelings. My eyes went wide.

"Raphael!" Master Splinter shouted, frowning at him. His brothers all glared at him. I was about to yell in defence as my temper began to rise, but it hit me. It hit me then, that I had indeed abandoned my parents. I had left them when they needed me most. I could feel the tears coming but there was no way I was going to cry in front of them. My eyes returned to their normal size and I turned to Michelangelo.

"Where's the bathroom?" I asked calmly.

He pointed to the flight of stairs and said, "first door on your left…"

"Kara…" Alex said, looking almost as sad as I felt.

"It's okay, Alex," I said, climbing up the steps. I opened the bathroom door and closed it, leaning against it as I slid down to the floor.

It all came back to me. The deafening sound of breaking glass, the pained scream of my momma, the desperate yell of my papa… the cold, lifeless eyes of that kind old woman and that innocent little boy…

That memory would plague my thoughts; it would haunt my dreams. That memory would follow me forever. That memory would make me feel like a murderer. No, I _was_ a murderer. Murderers caused death. I _was _the cause of the homeless people's death.

But something burned brighter in me than grief. Something that would keep me going for a long time.

Hope.

I had not _seen _the lifeless bodies of my parents. There was still a possibility that they had just been captured. But even then, they could be suffering in the worst place imaginable. They could be being tortured this very minute, slowly dying a slow, agonizing death.

The bottom line was this: my momma and my papa were gone. I wouldn't see them for a very long time. I wouldn't taste Papa's secret recipes. I wouldn't hear Momma sing an out-of-tune lullaby. I wouldn't fall asleep knowing I had a full family to wake up to.

I choked out a sob and grabbed my hair. I was freaking out. I took a deep, shaky breath to try and calm myself. But it didn't work so I just let it all out. I let the tears stream down my face. I let out all the emotions which had been replaced with shock. I let out all the pain, the grief, the agony and hoped with all my heart that I could keep my brother safe from the ones who took everything else from me. I hoped that I could keep him from harm… because he was all I had left.

* * *

**_Meanwhile…_**

"Raph! How could you be so insensitive?!" Donnie shouted. Raph didn't say anything, he just looked away.

"You okay, Alex?" Mikey asked. Alex looked a little shaken but he wasn't crying… yet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm gonna go check on her."

"I'll go with you," Mikey said. Before he left, he looked in Raphael's direction. "Not cool." Raph narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"Raphael, go and do 100 flips. I shall see you when you have completed your punishment." Master Splinter ordered. Raph glared and left for the dojo.

When they reached the bathroom door, Alex frowned when he heard absolutely nothing. It was completely silent.

Hesitating before knocking on the door, Alex asked "Kara? Are you okay?"

There was even more silence until, "Yeah, Alex. I'm fine… Just… Just stay with Mikey for a while, okay?"

Mikey put a comforting hand on Alex's shoulder and nodded.

"Okay…" Alex said uncertainly. "If you're sure…" He looked down as he walked away, Mikey right behind him.

"Don't worry little dude. How 'bout we go play some video games?" Mikey asked.

Alex smiled a little. "Okay," he said and somewhat reluctantly left his sister to mourn in peace.

* * *

_Normal POV_

It was two hours since they left Kara to cry and Mikey showed Alex where his and Kara's temporary room was, after playing video games for an hour. It was the spare room that April and Casey used when they stayed over, equipped with a double bed, which they had kindly paid for, an old wardrobe and a chest of drawers.

By now it was about 3 o'clock in the morning and everyone except Mikey had turned in for the night. Alex passed out whilst playing a video game so Mikey tucked him in bed.

Mikey was now having a debate with himself. He was wondering if he should disturb Kara, and offer her to go to sleep in her room, or leave her be. He decided the first option would provide some comfort so he trudged up the stairs and headed to the bathroom.

When he arrived at the door, he didn't hear any kind of sound to hint that she was in there. He quietly knocked on the door and when he heard no reply, he entered.

He found her on the floor by the toilet, the subtle rise and fall of her chest indicating that she was asleep. He smiled at the peaceful expression on her face but frowned when he noticed her tear stained cheeks.

He picked her up and carried her to her room, laying her down next to her brother, under the covers. Alex must have somehow known that she was there because as soon as Mikey set her down, he unconsciously wrapped his arms around her waist. She must have known too because she rested her head on his.

Mikey smiled. He knew that the sibling bond was very strong. He and his brothers obviously didn't sleep in the same bed now, but when they did when they were little, Leo and Raph would always protectively curl around Mikey and Donnie without even knowing it.

He left the room silently, gently shutting the door behind him, leaving the two slumbering people to rest.

* * *

**_One hour later: 4:00am_**

Kara woke to someone shaking her should gently. She groaned and rolled over, away from whoever was disturbing her precious sleep.

"Kara… Kara wake up," Alex whispered, failing to get the hint that she wanted to be left in peace.

"What?" She said groggily, opening her eyes a smidge. She noticed she was on something much more comfortable than a bathroom floor and she guessed that she and her brother had been provided with a room.

"I… I can't sleep…" He said, lowering his head a little.

Kara sighed and sat up, facing him. She frowned when she noticed his red cheeks and puffy eyes. Even in the dim lighting, it was clear that he'd been crying.

"C'mere," she said, pulling him into a hug as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Why can't you sleep?" She knew why he couldn't sleep, but she just wanted to offer some comfort.

He sniffled. "You know why."

She started stroking his hair, as he leaned his head on her shoulder.

"Can you…" He said, trailing off.

"Can I what, Allie?" She asked. She used to call him Allie when he was little and whenever he needed comforting.

"Can you sing the song momma used to sing?" He asked innocently. Kara smiled sadly and nodded. Their mom didn't sing the song every night, but she would whenever they had nightmare, or when they couldn't get to sleep.

Kara took a deep breath and began singing softly…

_You're not alone  
Together we stand  
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand  
When it gets cold  
And it feels like the end  
There's no place to go  
You know I won't give in  
No I won't give in_

Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
There's nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There's no other way when it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through

_Hear me when I say, when I say I believe  
Nothing's gonna change, nothing's gonna change destiny  
Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

La da da da  
La da da da  
La da da da da da da da da…

She was gently rocking him and stroking his hair. She felt his tears on her shoulder and her own slowly falling down her cheeks. She thought he had fallen asleep when he chuckled.

"What?" She asked. _Surely I wasn't _that _bad, _she thought.

"You sing it better than Momma," he said.

Kara sighed. "Unlike Momma, I sang it in tune…But that doesn't make it better."

He nodded and they both lay down, letting their eyelids slowly shut and drift into unconsciousness.

What they didn't know, was that a turtle in blue was hidden in the shadows, investigating the quiet talking on his way back from the bathroom. He sighed as he walked back to his room.

"Maybe I was wrong about them…"

_**I didn't intend to include a song but I was listening to "Keep Holding On" and thought "OMG this is perfect! It's completely relevant!" So I threw it in XD**_


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When Kara woke, the first thing she noticed was how cold she was. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times to get rid of the blurriness of her vision. She sat up and stretched her arms out in front of her, smiling as she heard the satisfying pop of her joints clicking into place.

She looked around and found a clock on the wall which read 12pm. As she inspected the room further, she realised that this was _not _her room. She then remembered all of the events from the night before. She felt tears swelling in her eyes but shook her head and willed them away. No way was she having two major ball out sessions in a row.

She turned towards the other side of the bed, expecting to see Alex, only to find it empty. She started to panic a little and ran down the stairs and out to the living room. She sighed in relief when she found him playing video games with Mikey, cheering every now and then when he scored.

She walked back up to the bathroom, realizing that she was just being paranoid. These people/turtles/rats had welcomed her and Alex into their home and given them a place to rest. Surely that would've earned them her trust. But she just couldn't bring herself to trust them yet. After all, she had been glared at several times… and threatened with a katana…

She did her business and went to wash her hands. When she looked in the mirror, she frowned at the condition her face was in.

_Ugh… I look disgusting. _She thought.

Her lip was swollen and bruised with a lot of dried blood smeered down her chin. There was a dried, flaking line of dark red from where her forehead had bled – quite badly from the looks of it. Her eye, where the ninja had back handed her, was now a gross mix of black, purple and yellow.

Her hair was in an even worse state. It was still half up from the night before, but half of it had fallen out during all the running, fighting and mainly: the sleeping. She _always _woke up a bed head. She took out the band, put it on her wrist and began running her fingers through the tangled jungle that was her hair.

She placed her fringe over her black eye to try and conceal it after she cleaned the blood off her face. She reminded herself to check for Alex's injuries before she did anything else.

She returned to the living room and sat on the sofa, next to her brother. Mikey was sitting on Alex's other side. They were playing Mario Kart.

Mikey looked at Kara with sympathy in his eyes. He reached around Alex and put a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it.

"Sorry about last night, Kar," he said.

She shook his hand off and said, "Don't pity me. I hate being pitied." It made her feel weak.

Mikey smiled. "I'm not pitying you, I'm comforting you. There's a difference."

She returned the smile and Alex squeezed her hand. She squeezed his back.

"Kara, Mikey let me watch their training this morning. It was _awesome! _You should so watch it!" Alex said excitedly.

She smiled at her baby brother. "Maybe next time." She continued watching them play until she remembered why she had gone there in the first place.

"Mikey, can you pause the game a sec?" Kara asked.

"Sure thing, dudette," he said, doing as she'd asked. "Hey, is Alex allowed to play ZombieKiller 3?"

Alex huffed in annoyance. "I told you, you don't need to ask for her permission," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Ha! I do when she's already threatened to beat me to death with my own spleen!" he said, making Kara smirk.

"Sure, I love that game. Just make sure he knows that violence isn't a good source of entertainment… but smashing the heads of evil virtual zombies isn't something I'm too worried about," she said. Mikey grinned and put the game in.

Kara started poking and prodding Alex's arms, checking for any cuts or scrapes. He had a couple of bruises and scrapes, but nothing to be concerned about.

"I'm _fine, _Kara, really. But what about you?" I ducked my head. He reached up to my face and tucked my hair behind my ear. He leapt back like I'd burned him. "Damn, Kara! Look at your face! You need to go to the hospital or something!"

She rolled her eyes and put her fringe back over her face. "Don't be silly, Alex. I'll survive without going to the hospital." She hated hospitals. They were full of pain, suffering and depression.

Mikey came over to see what Alex was fussing about. When he saw the state of her face he gasped.

"Kara, you _need _to get that checked out. Don't worry, I'm sure Don can fix you up," he said before yelling, "DON! Get your shell over here!"

A green head with a purple mask peeped out of the metal door. "What is it Mikey?" Mikey held Kara's chin and turned her face to look towards Don.

A sharp intake of breath was heard and he said "Ouch. Come on, step into my office."

She sighed and proceeded towards the "office" which Mikey had mentioned was actually called the lab.

Before she reached the door a hand grabbed her wrist. She quickly turned and found that Leo was the one holding her.

"Can I help you, Leonardo?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.

He let go of her and said, "I just wanted to apologise for my actions yesterday. I should've waited to get to know you before I threatened you." He lowered his head ever so slightly.

She smiled. "Don't worry about it. I would've freaked out too if my brother invited a couple of strange people into our house."

He smiled back, but it faded not long after. It was nice to see someone so serious smile for a change. It suited him well.

"I also want to apologise for Raphael. It was despicable of him to say such things after what you've been through. Oh, and call me Leo."

She grinned at him. "That's okay, _Leo_. Besides, he was right," she said, shrugging. Leo snapped his head up and looked her in the eye. He opened his mouth to disagree but Donnie interrupted him.

"Kara?" He called from the lab.

"Coming!" she said, disappearing into the lab, leaving a frowning Leo.

She looked around Don's lab. It was incredible. There were loads of computers and monitors on the desks along with the thousands of pieces of paper which were scattered all over the room. There were cabinets which, when he opened them to get out some antiseptic, she saw contained a whole variety of medical supplies. There was a metal, uncomfortable looking table in the middle of the room. Don asked her to hop on it and she was right. It was _very _uncomfortable.

"I'm just gonna put on some antiseptic. It'll help to prevent an infection," He said, applying it to the cut on her forehead. She hissed through clenched teeth as the pain increased.

"Yes, Donatello. I know what antiseptic is," she said, rolling her eyes.

He chuckled. "Sorry. I'm used to putting things in simpler terms for my brothers." She smirked and he went and got a bandage out of the cabinet.

"I don't need a bandage. I'll just let it heal on its own." She said and went to hop off but Donatello stopped her.

She frowned. "Really, I'm fine. I don't need your help."

It was Donnie's turn to frown. "I know you don't _need _my help, but I want to give it to you. So let me."

Kara sighed and rolled her eyes, but let him wrap the bandage around her head.

"It'll help to stop any more bleeding, anyway," he said, tying a knot at the back.

"I tried to wash most of the blood off. It'd be _great _to have a shower but I don't have any clean clothes. I'll consider showering with my clothes on," she said, running her hands through her not yet greasy hair.

"Don't worry. I'm sure April wouldn't mind taking you and Alex shopping," Donnie said, putting the medical supplies away.

"Who's April?"

"She's a friend we met a while back. Her and Casey Jones are our eyes and ears on the surface," He explained. Kara nodded in understanding.

"Hey, what's that?" Donnie asked, gesturing to her pocket. Kara looked down and saw a folded envelope.

She gasped. "My momma told me to get it before we ran away. I haven't opened it yet but…" She got it out and opened it. Her eyes bulged as she saw a huge roll of green bills.

"Woah…" Donnie breathed. "That's gotta be at least a thousand dollars!"

She set the money on the table and looked in the envelope again. She took out a folded piece of paper and opened it up. It was a letter. She assumed it was from her parents. She began reading…

_Our dear Karianna._

_If you're reading this, they have come. We know you must be scared, confused, angry and we are so sorry for making you feel this way. But you must be strong, Kara. You must be strong for Alex and for yourself. Have courage. Have faith. Have hope. If you have all of these things, then you will succeed in what we failed to do. NEVER give up on hope, Karianna. Never. _

_We moved from England to America because we were assigned to a new case – to protect a device. The people who have come are called the Foot, an organisation of master criminals lead by a man called Oroku Saki, also known as the Shredder. They're after the device, the device which could put thousands of people in danger. _

_A lot is unknown about the device because there's only one left in existence. It was banned by the government years ago. While this device is a highly complicated piece of equipment, once obtained, it is very easy to duplicate with the correct tools. _

_This device is a chip. Saki wants to build an army and this chip is his key to his success. It's a mind controlling chip. It puts the wearer in a sort of permanent state of hypnosis. If Saki gets it, he could threaten all of New York and potentially the entire country. This can't happen. Kara you must find the chip and keep it out of the hands of Saki. The organisation we worked for was taken over a few years ago so we can't rely on them. _

_We're so sorry Karianna. We're so sorry we're putting you and Alex through this._

_Just try to remember the good old times, like when you drew that adorable little picture with candle wax when you were 7._

_Let fire's light guide you. _

_Lots and lots and lots of love from_

_Momma and Papa _

_xxxx_

Kara put the letter down, wearing a frown on her face. Her mind was overwhelmed with thoughts.

_Where is this chip?_

_How am I supposed to keep it out of the hands of a criminal master mind, who has a whole secret organisation to back him up? I'm just one person!_

She took a few deep breaths and tried to get herself to think straight. Donnie's voice snapped her back to reality. His voice was full of concern.

"Kara? Are you okay?"

"Honestly," she said. "No."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked.

"No," she said, hopping off the table. "I think I'll explain it to everyone at once. I don't want to have to repeat myself." Donnie nodded and led her out to the kitchen, where everyone was gathered for lunch – or in Kara's case, breakfast.

"Grub's up!" Mikey said with over enthusiasm. He turned around from where he stood at the counter, holding two plates full of pizza. His smile faded when he saw the serious expressions on Kara and Donnie's faces. They both sat down at the table, Donnie next to Raph and Kara next to Leo, opposite Raph. Mikey set the plates down and squished next to Alex on the end of the table. Master Splinter was sitting on the opposite end.

"Is something troubling you, Miss Evans?" Master Splinter inquired. Kara went to take a slice of pizza but her hand collided with Raphael's, who glared and snatched the slice before she could. Kara rolled her eyes and took a different slice.

"I just read a letter that my parents gave me before the fire," she said, taking a bite out of her pizza.

Alex leaned forward when he heard this and said, "What did it say?" He seemed almost afraid to find out.

Kara explained what the letter had said and everyone was silent during this. They all seemed utterly engrossed in the story – especially Alex.

"So, Momma and Papa were secret agents or something?" Alex asked, overwhelmed with the unexpected information.

Kara nodded. "I guess so."

"Why didn't they just tell you where the chip is in the letter?" Mikey asked.

"If the Foot managed to get their hands on the letter then the Shredder could easily locate the chip and build his 'almighty' army," Don explained.

"I am terribly sorry for your loss," Master Splinter said to both Kara and Alex.

"They're not gone," Kara said. "They're just missing." She got a few confused looks at this and decided to explain. "I'd feel if they were gone. I'd just… know." Leonardo and Master Splinter nodded in understanding. Souls within a family are connected and when a connection is broken, everyone else within that family can feel it.

"Miss Evans," Master Splinter began. "I think it is best if you and your brother remain here for the time being." Raphael's head snapped up to look at his father, his face displaying dangerous mix of shock and anger. He opened his mouth to object but Master Splinter fixed him with a stare which immediately silenced him. Raphael got up from his chair and went to his room.

Kara sighed. "Thank you, Master Splinter, but I'm afraid we can't live somewhere where we're not wanted by everyone."

"Don't worry Kar. Raphie will warm up to ya! He just needs time to get to know you," Mikey said enthusiastically.

"It's the safest place for you to stay," Donatello reasoned.

"And we can help you find the chip," Leonardo added.

"We could get you killed, like that old lady," she said back, the memory sending shudders down her spine.

"We're professionals. Don't worry, we won't get hurt and we won't let anyone hurt you or Alex," Leonardo said.

"Please Kara?" Alex begged.

She looked around the table and saw that she was the only one who was refusing the offer.

"Fine," She finally said reluctantly. Alex and Mikey cheered and Donnie, Leonardo and Master Splinter smiled.

"But!" The cheering stopped. "On one condition." They all leaned forward, awaiting her condition. "We pay for everything. Our food, our bathroom supplies, everything. I'll get a part time job or something so we don't run out of money and Alex will participate in doing the chores, won't you Alex?" He nodded frantically.

"Kara, that's really not necessary-" Leonardo began but was cut off when Kara gave him a look with her eyebrow raised, daring him to continue. Leonardo looked at Master Splinter for some help.

"Agreed," Splinter said, rising from his chair.

Donatello did the same and said "I'll go call April and ask if she could take you shopping."

Master Splinter left for his room and Leonardo left for the dojo.

"Welcome to your new home!" Mikey said, jumping up from his seat. "Since you're gonna be living here, I think I need to officially give you the tour!"

Donnie came back into the kitchen and said, "April's coming to pick you guys up at two. She's gonna bring Casey as well." Kara nodded and stood to follow Alex and a freakishly hyperactive Michelangelo out of the kitchen. He wanted to assure her that she and Alex were both welcome in their new home.

_**Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter will be a girls night out! ... or a girls afternoon out... Anyway, review please! Thank you for the ones so far :-P **_


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**_Hi again! Here is another chappy! Btw, I completely made up what Raph's bike looks like. To be honest, it's what MY dream bike would look like! ENJOY!_**

After the tour, Kara had migrated back to her room and stayed there until April and Casey arrived. She had a couple hundred dollars in her pocket for the shopping trip. She wasn't a fan of shopping, but it needed to be done so she was willing to go. Kara heard the lair entrance open and close, assuming that they had arrived. She heard them greeting one other.

"Hey, Ape!" Mikey yelled.

"Hi, Mikey. I brought some pizzas so- MICHELANGELO! GIVE THEM BACK!" She heard a furious feminine voice shout. Kara chuckled. Even during the short period of time that she was here, she already knew how much Mikey adored his beloved pizza.

A few minutes later she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," she said and the door opened to reveal a smiling Michelangelo.

"They're here," he said.

"Okay…"

Mikey shut the door behind him and came to sit next to her on the end of the bed.

"Is Alex okay?" Kara asked.

"Yeah, he's fine. Seems to be getting along with Case real well. Ape thinks he's adorable." She smiled at this.

"Are you okay? You've been in here for a while," he asked.

Kara didn't look at him but said, "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," He insisted. "You can tell me what's up, Kar. I won't judge."

She sighed. "It's just… everything. I _am_ going to find my parents _and _this stupid chip. I just don't know where to start."

"And you don't like not knowing because it makes you feel helpless."

She felt her temper rise and glared at him. "I am _not _helpless," she said defensively.

"I know you're not. But that doesn't mean you don't _feel _helpless. Being here means that you're relying on other people's protection 'cause out there you _are_ helpless. You don't like relying on us 'cause it means you're can't protect yourself and Alex. You don't like the fact that you need help." She sat wide eyed, staring at him. How the hell did he know that?

"What makes you say that?" She asked casually, refusing to admit anything.

"You wouldn't let me comfort you this morning. You locked yourself away in the bathroom for two hours 'cause you were having a mental break down and you didn't want anyone to know that. You've been through a heck of a lot and I haven't seen you cry once. I just know that you have in private. And the biggest thing that gave it away? You never _asked _for help. You were even reluctant to accept our help when we offered it."

She looked away from him. She didn't like that he could see through her like that. She'd just have to build a bigger and thicker wall to stop anyone else seeing past her actions… yet she was kind of relieved to know that he understood her.

_That turtle is smarter than what meets the eye, _she thought.

"C'mon," he said, patting her knee. "Let's go introduce you to everyone." He got up and walked to the door. He paused when his hand was on the doorknob. "Y'know, you're a lot like Raph." Kara looked up at him. "He doesn't like depending on people either." He opened the door for her and let her out first, following and shutting the door behind him.

"They're gonna love ya," he said, putting an arm around her shoulder as they walked down the hall, making Kara roll her eyes.

When they walked into the living room, Kara saw that everyone, including Master Splinter, had gathered to greet their guests. Donatello and Leonardo were standing in front of the two new arrivals with Alex stood in between them and Raphael was leaning up against a wall next to them. Master Splinter was stood next to Kara and Mikey. When she glanced at Raphael, he caught her gaze and narrowed his eyes at her for the gazillionth time. She, once again, reflected his gesture. April and Casey exchanged glances upon noticing the tension between the two glaring people. April decided that she'd question it later. Don had filled her in on the situation over the phone but hadn't mentioned any arguments that might have occurred.

Kara finally turned away from Raphael and got her first glimpse at the turtles' companions.

April was a stunning woman with long red hair which cascaded down to her shoulders. She currently had it up in a neat little bun. April looked in her twenties and so did Casey. She had the occasional freckle dotted on her pale face and she was wearing a pair of jeans and a really comfortable looking yellow sweater. She had gorgeous green eyes which contrasted well with her red hair. April's hair was darker than Kara's and Kara had more freckles dotted along her nose and cheeks. Kara's hair was also longer, reaching all the way down to the middle of her back.

Casey was _huge. _He was extremely tall and had about as much muscle as the turtles had. He had long black hair which reached just above his shoulders and brilliant dark blue eyes. He was wearing jeans and a vest which showed off his muscles. Overall: very attractive.

"Hello, you must be Karianna," April said cheerfully, holding out a hand.

Kara shook it. "Call me Kara," she said smiling back at the older woman.

"Nice to meet you, Kara, I'm April. This big lug is Casey." Casey held out his hand for her to shake.

"Casey Jones. Nice ta finally meet ya, Kid. Mikey hasn't shut up about you and the lil' squirt since he called us yesterday," he said, grinning.

Kara chuckled. "Even though I haven't been here very long, I've still found that Mikey is the," she made air quotes with her fingers, "_enthusiastic _one in the family."

_I've also found that he's one of the most observant, _she thought, thinking back to her previous conversation with him.

"Well, we better get going if we want to have a decent shopping sesh!" April said. "Casey's gonna stay here with the guys so we don't have to hear his constant complaining." She said, earning a pout from Casey.

"Kara?" Alex asked from where he was standing in between Donatello and Leonardo. "Can I stay here with the guys?"

"I don't know, Alex…" Kara said with a worried expression.

"It's alright, Kara. We could have some girl time," April said, winking at her. Kara smirked a little.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine." Mikey said and walked up to her. "Trust me."

Kara sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine…" she mumbled. She lowered her voice to speak to Mikey. "Just make sure he has fun, okay? It'll help take his mind off things." Mikey smiled and nodded.

Kara went up to Alex and knelt down. "You sure you're gonna be okay kiddo?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "I'll be _fine_, Kara. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here when you get back."

"I know," she said, hugging him tightly. She got up and kissed his forehead. "Be good," she said, a warning tone evident in her voice. He grinned at her.

"Bye guys," April said as she walked out of the lair entrance/exit.

"See ya later," Kara said with a wave of her hand.

"Yeah, whateva…" Raphael grumbled, earning a frown from Casey.

"What's your deal, Raph?" Casey asked when everyone had filed out of the room.

"Nothin'" He mumbled, turning and heading for the dojo. Casey followed.

"You're actin' like a real jerk, y'know. Why don't you like 'em?" Casey asked.

"The kid's alright it's jus'…" He sighed in annoyance. "She thinks she can just waltz right on into my…_ our_ home and now she's suddenly 'Queen of the Lair.' She's already got Mike and Don at her beck and call. Heck even_ Leo's_ warmin' up to 'er." He began pounding the punch bag which was hanging in the corner of the dojo.

"So, why aren't you?" Casey pushed further. He knew Raphael was a tough shell to crack.

Raph stopped beating the punch bag. "I dunno it's jus'… There's somethin' not right about 'er."

"Have you at least _tried _ta get ta know 'er? She seems like a nice gal," Casey said.

"No. And I don't plan to," Raph said, resuming his work out. Casey rolled his eyes and went to find someone in a better mood to talk to.

* * *

The two girls were in April's van, driving to the mall. April had shown Kara the way out of the lair without blind folding her since she was going to be living there. She had told Kara about how she met the guys and some of their most exciting, and dangerous, missions.

"There hasn't been a lot of activity with the Foot so it's interesting that they've suddenly come out of hiding. I wonder why they decided to strike now. Why not before?" April wondered.

"I expect my parents kept our location very well hidden. They're always extremely thorough. Now that I think about it, we never had anyone round to our house and me and my brother weren't allowed out on our own… We had a really complicated lock on our door, we had thicker glass windows than anyone else in the building…" She gasped. "Oh! And I _never _used to get any signal on my phone! As soon as I stepped out of the building I got full bars."

"It must have taken the Foot a while to track your parents down..." April said.

"Do you think…" Kara paused as a thought hit her. "Do you think my name is really Kara Evans? Do you think they might have changed it?"

"Well, what are your relatives' last names?" April asked.

"I never met any of my relatives. I don't even know if I have an aunt or uncle or cousins…" Kara frowned in annoyance. "How could I not have suspected something? It's all so obvious!" She exclaimed.

"Don't worry," April said as she parked the van in the mall parking lot. "The guys are going to help you find your parents and track down that chip. Me and Casey will help as much as we can too. You and your brother aren't alone anymore." April smiled and put a hand on Kara's shoulder.

"Thank you, but I don't want you to help. You could get seriously hurt and I'm not having anyone else harmed because of me," Kara said.

April frowned and turned in her seat to face her. "Listen," she said, a sudden strict tone in her voice. "_No one _got hurt because of you. They got hurt because of the Foot."

"But I should've _known _that the Foot would find us in the junk yard. It's such an _obvious _place to hide! If I had just kept running those people wouldn't have died!" Kara almost shouted.

"Yes and if you had kept running then you and Alex would probably be dead by now. You'd be laying dead in a dirty alley or being tortured in the Foot headquarters by Shredder himself!" April said back sternly. Kara was silent and glared at the floor. April sighed. "You and Alex are safe for now and you have people who want to help you. You can't do this on your own, Kara. With our help you can save thousands of people from being forced into Shredder's army. You can avenge the ones who got harmed because of the _Foot._" Kara didn't move or give April any kind of reaction. Kara knew she was being a tad rude but she didn't know what else to do.

April sighed and decided to change the subject. "Well then, let's go shopping!" She said, her usual cheerful tone returned. They both got out of the van and April locked it. She led Kara into the mall and started showing her all of the different shops.

"Do you have any idea what you need?" April asked. Kara got out a list from her pocket.

"I think I should get me and Alex some dark clothes. Black hoodies, black pants, that kind of thing. Just in case we go out at night or something."

April snorted. "Ha! Try to persuade Leo to let you go out at night. That'll be a discussion to remember." Kara smirked and proceeded to search for all of the things on her list, which included two cheap little phones for her and Alex.

They spent the next two hours shopping until their feet died. April was starting to get concerned when Kara didn't let her pay for _anything. _Not even a toothbrush. Kara always rushed to the cash register before April had a chance to pay. The only things April _did _get to pay for were the two hot chocolates that they were currently having at April's favourite café.

"Ah." She sighed as she took a sip of the delicious creamy contents of the hot mug. Kara did the same.

"So I'm guessing you and Casey are an item." Kara said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah, for quite a while actually. What gave it away?" April asked, taking another sip.

"Well," Kara began. "He had his arm around you for starters. The way he looks at you and all that cheesy crap. Both not bad on the eyes. You seem like the perfect match." Kara shrugged and continued drinking her beverage.

April chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You also seem to dominate the relationship. Nice," Kara said, smirking.

April barked out a laugh. "Wouldn't have it any other way! It's nice to finally have a girl to talk to. The guys are great and all but sometimes you just need a break from all the pizza and video games." Kara nodded. "Speaking of the guys… what's going on with you and Raph?"

Kara's eyes narrowed at the thought of him but they softened as she sighed. "I have absolutely no idea. He just hates me and I don't know why. But I don't care. If he doesn't like me, I'm not gonna make him."

"Yeah, Raphael isn't one to warm up to strangers. Believe it or not, he had a tough time warming up to me when I first met the guys." Kara's head perked up in interest.

"Go on," Kara said.

April set her mug down on the table. "It took some time but I just left him alone so I didn't wind him up. He began to like me on his own."

"Kinda hard to leave him alone when he's always glaring at ya…" Kara grumbled under her breath.

When they were done, they tipped the waitress and drove back to the turtles' garage at about seven o'clock. April parked the van and they both got out with the millions of shopping bags.

"So how do we get to the lair from here?" Kara asked, looking around at all the tools scattered on the floor.

_ Donatello must work in here, _Kara thought.

"Don made an elevator which goes down to the lair," April said, pointing to a large metal door. "He also made the Battle Shell."

Kara looked at the large vehicle which was parked next to April's van. It was amazing. It looked like an army truck on the outside, but she expected that Don had equipped the Battle Shell with many of his high-tech gadgets and such. As Kara walked around it, she came face to face with something that made her eyes bulge.

"Oh… My… God…" She breathed. "This is the most beautiful bike I've ever seen!" In front of her, was Raph's black, red and white motorcycle. It was mainly metallic black but it had a blood red stripe and a white stripe going down the middle. "My dad taught me and Alex how to ride one of these! Black, red and white is the _best _color combination! Do you think Donnie will let me take it for a ride sometime?"

April was taken aback at how excited she seemed. It was great to see Kara smile for real. She laughed nervously. "Uh… You see, Kara, that bike is Raph's…"

Kara's smile faded. "Oh," she said. "Oh well. It doesn't matter…"

April smiled sadly and opened the elevator door, letting Kara go in first. When the doors opened to reveal the lair, they were met with a very bizarre sight. Alex was sat on the couch, cheering as Donnie chased Mikey around the room, flipping and cart wheeling as they went. Kara and April glanced at each other and shrugged. Leo was on the second floor with a sly grin on his face, as if he was waiting for something. When Don and Mikey were about to run by his perch, he leapt down from the second level and stuck his foot out. Mikey tripped over it, causing Donnie to go down with him. Leonardo brushed off his hands and stood, smiling smugly, next to the pile of tangled green limbs.

Mikey looked up and spotted the two girls. "Hey, dudettes! We were just showin' Alex how to play Ninja Tag!"

Alex laughed. "Yeah! You should've been here, Kara! Mikey snuck up on Casey and made him scream like little a girl!" He said, bursting into a fit of giggles. Kara was overjoyed to see Alex so happy. Casey came out of the kitchen, shaking his head and smiling.

"I didn't scream like a little girl. I screamed like a big, manly wrestler," He said matter-of-factly.

"Ha! Sure, a wrestler who hasn't hit puberty yet!" Alex exclaimed. We all stood there, mouths wide open and staring at him before everyone suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hey, can we get some help here?" April said when everyone had calmed down. Leo and Casey came and collected the bags from the girls and went to put them in Kara's room. Kara walked up to Mikey and pulled him aside.

"Thanks, Mikey," she said. "For taking his mind off of things. I really appreciate it."

Mikey grinned at her. "No sweat, Kar! Anytime. Just call me the Amazing Mikester!" He said, striking a very dramatic and… strange pose.

_Is that meant to look heroic? _She thought.

She went to walk past him and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't ever do that again."

He immediately resumed his normal stance. "Heh…" he said awkwardly. "Noted."

"Well then, we'd better get going," April said. "Lovely to meet you, Alex," she said, giving the boy a hug. She walked up to Kara and put her hands on her shoulders. "If you ever need to talk or if you ever want a break, drop by okay?" She said, handing Kara a piece of paper with her and Casey's address on it.

"Thank you," Kara said sincerely. Casey came up to her and gave her a one armed hug.

"See ya around, Kid," he said to her. He went up to Alex and ruffled his shaggy hair. "You too, ya lil' squirt." Alex grinned.

After all the turtles and Master Splinter said their goodbyes, Kara checked one last time on Alex and disappeared to the safety of their room. Kara was always a privacy freak.

She got changed into her new PJs, which consisted of a grey tank top and a pair of black boxer shorts. She sighed in content and flopped down onto her shared bed, ready to snuggle up for the night. By now it was only 7:30, but she wanted her catch up sleep from the previous night. She fell asleep to the muffled giggles of her little brother and Michelangelo; her own little lullaby.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_**Here's another chappy! Enjoy and review please!**_

You ever get that feeling when you've just been on a hike or it's been a really hot day and you just want to get home and take a shower? That's what Kara had been feeling for the past two days. You know that feeling when you step into the shower and you sigh in content as the warm water finally touches your skin and it instantly removes your hot and botheredness? That's what Kara was currently feeling.

She let the gentle flow of water run down her bare back and seep into her sore muscles. She let the foam from her apple shampoo wash off all of the sweat and grime that had built up over the last couple of days; along with her stress and anxieties. She had waited a long, painful time for this moment and she was savouring every second of it. She let the fragrance of the shampoo enter her nose and make her brain tingle in delight.

She had been in the shower for a whole hour now and she was as shrivelled up as an old person in a hot tub. A certain somebody (*cough* Raphael *cough*) was getting very frustrated with the amount of time that she was taking. He had just finished training and was desperately in need of a nice hot shower.

When Kara finally got out, she quickly dried herself and got changed into a pair of black jeans and a grey T-shirt with a white skull on it. She wiped down the steamy mirror to look at her reflection. She was relieved to see that the swelling of her lip had gone down, but the cut was still visible. She no longer needed the bandage that she had worn on her head because the cut had scabbed over. She frowned at her still black eye. That wouldn't go away for a while…

She opened the bathroom door, with a towel in her hair, and saw Raphael standing with his arms crossed, leaning up against the opposite wall. He barged past her, making her towel fall of her head. She growled.

"'Bout time," he grumbled under his breath but Kara still heard it.

"Why, thank you, Raphael, for waiting so _patiently_," she sneered sarcastically. He turned and growled at her. He hated it when she used his full name but he still hadn't given her the okay to call him Raph.

She turned on her heal and strutted away with her head up high. She knew that would piss him off and it did. He growled again and slammed the bathroom door shut.

After he'd taken off all of his gear and gotten into the shower, he turned on the water only to find that she had used up all of the hot water.

Kara heard an enraged/surprised yell from the bathroom and she smirked.

"I guess I'm not doing well on the whole 'not winding him up thing,'" she said to herself. She snickered and went into her room.

Kara spent most of that day in the sanctuary of her room. She only came out for food and to use the bathroom. Alex was beginning to get concerned. She used to hide in her room when she was bullied in elementary school. She would ignore everyone around her and sometimes she wouldn't even come out to eat… and considering how much Kara _loves _food that's a HUGE deal. She used to completely shut everyone out for days and in one incident weeks. It was her way of coping.

Alex told all of this to Leonardo, since he was the big brother of the family.

"She was bullied?" He asked. That wasn't really the point that Alex was trying to get across…

"Yes. Badly. Now, what do we do about her shutting us out?! She could stay like that for _weeks!_" he repeated, his voice going all high and squeaky.

Leo put his hands on Alex's shoulders. "Don't worry, Alex. Just give her some time. I'm sure she'll come around," he said. Alex shook his head and went to find Mikey. Leo frowned. He wouldn't expect Kara to be the kind of person to get bullied.

He walked up to her door and hesitated. He decided to risk the consequences of disturbing the emotionally conflicted teenage girl.

He knocked on her door. "Kara?" He asked in a small voice.

After a moment of silence came the reply: "Yeah?"

"Can I come in?" He asked through the door.

"It's your home." He took that as a yes and entered her room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall, biting her nails – something she did when she was deep in thought.

"Hey…" he said, lacking his normal leader confidence.

"Hi."

An awkward silence followed and even though it was a short amount of time, it felt like 10 years to Leonardo.

"Pizza's almost ready," he said, trying to start up a conversation.

"Cool."

He frowned. "Are you okay?"

She sighed in annoyance. "Why does everyone keep asking me that? I'm _fine._"

"Alex doesn't seem to think you're fine," Leo said, stepping forward. "He's really worried about you."

She glanced at him before returning her eyes to the wall. "Well, he shouldn't be. Is _he _okay?"

"He's hangin' in there…" He went over and sat next to her.

A few minutes passed before he said, "I think you're really brave, y'know."

She looked at him sideways, a confused look in her eye. "How so?"

"You're dealing with the whole situation well. You've adapted to circumstances which you never thought you'd ever have to face. You've protected Alex with your life. You're his hero, Kara," he said, smiling slightly.

The corners of her lips turned upwards, but the not-quite-smile soon faded. "A hero wouldn't leave people behind," she whispered.

Leo turned to face her. "Raphael was wrong to say those things to you. You didn't abandon your parents, you saved yourself and your brother. If you stayed you'd all be dead. Besides, your parents _told _you to leave them. You didn't have a choice."

"There's always a choice. Every choice you make has a consequence, and mine happened to get my parents taken away from me."

Leo sighed in frustration. "What if you heard it from Raph? What if _he _told you it wasn't your fault?"

She shrugged. "Wouldn't make a difference." Leo could see that that was a lie.

_It would help, _he thought.

"Could you at least come out of your room?" He asked, hopefully. She hesitated.

"For Alex?" He added.

She sighed. "Sure."

They both exited her room and headed for the living room.

* * *

**_Meanwhile…_**

Mikey could see that Alex was growing more and more concerned about his sister with every passing minute. Mikey would feel the same way about Raph sometimes, when he was in one of his 'moods.' He knew that Kara preferred to keep her emotions to herself, and Raph was the same. They dealt with unwanted emotions completely differently…yet alike.

Every kind of strong emotion which would ruin Raphael's 'tough guy' reputation would immediately convert into anger. Raphael would then take that anger and convert it into strength. He would use his strength fuelled by the anger in battles or on his punch bag. He would openly show that he was mad.

Kara, on the other hand, would take every kind of unwanted emotion and lock it away in her mind. She would shield her true feelings with an impenetrable barrier which no one was allowed passed. She wouldn't let anyone know what she was feeling and that's what concerned Mikey. He knew that bottling up strong emotions couldn't be healthy and he wondered what would happen if she didn't let them out. He wondered if she did – just in private.

Mikey pondered that thought and realised, despite all of his thorough observations, he actually didn't know a thing about her. He didn't know what she did in her free time or her hobbies… So he decided to ask Alex.

"Well," Alex began. "She loves to do anything creative. She loves drawing, painting, writing. She can sit in a room for hours with just a piece of paper and a pencil and come out with a drawing which is good enough to be in an art gallery."

_So _that _must be how she lets it out, _he thought. _Through her drawings and writing… _

It was true. Kara wrote and illustrated how she felt, but she kept all of her creations hidden from the world, fearful of how people would react if they knew what she was really thinking.

Alex's voice snapped Mikey out of his thoughts. "Oh, and she has a _huge _thing for music. She's got millions of albums and CDs in her room… or she _used _to…" Alex's face fell into a sad frown. Mikey squeezed his shoulder in reassurance and Alex perked up a bit.

"Music, huh?" Mikey said and Alex nodded. "Wait here." Mikey ran off towards Raphael's room, knowing that it was forbidden to enter but determined to get what he came for. He opened the door a crack and peered inside. He slowly shut it behind him and tip toed over to the chest of drawers standing in the corner. He was surprised Raph's room wasn't a tip. Mikey had to plough through all the crap in his own room just to reach the bed. He searched through all of the drawers until he found what he was looking for.

_Bingo._

* * *

When Kara and Leonardo entered the living room, Alex looked up from where he was sitting on the couch, watching TV. He ran up to Kara and gave her a hug.

"Hey, Kiddo," she said, hugging him back.

He let go and whispered to Leonardo, "Thank you." Leo smiled and nodded as a way of saying "you're welcome."

Leo proceeded towards the kitchen to speak with Raphael.

Mikey came into the living room and saw Kara sitting on the couch with her arm around Alex. He grinned.

"And she has emerged! Ladies and gentlemen this _is _a rare sight to see!" He exclaimed, jumping onto the couch next to her. She playfully glared at him and rolled her eyes.

"Hey Kara?" Mikey said. Kara turned to him and looked at him expectantly. "This used to be Raph's. April gave it to him for his birthday a while back but he doesn't use it anymore." He handed her a red little iPod along with the headphones. She smiled in gratitude.

"Thanks Mikey! Are you sure this is okay?" She asked uncertainly. Mikey wasn't sure how his older brother would react to this, but seeing Kara this happy was a rare sight to behold.

"Course, dudette! Sorry about the music though…it's all rock."

She gasped as she looked through the songs. "Are you kidding me? I _love _rock! The electric guitar, the drums. What's not to like?! … Oh! I love this song!" She stuck the headphones on and played the music. She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes, her head bobbing along to the beat. Mikey glanced at Alex with an expression which clearly said "what the heck just happened?"

"Yeah, she gets _real _enthusiastic over good music… Heh… try takin' it away from her," Alex chuckled.

About half an hour passed with Alex and Mikey switching from TV to video games and Kara staying in _exactly _the same spot the entire time. The boys had started to make silly faces at her, since she had her eyes closed. But, being the all knowing and experienced older sister, she knew what they were doing, but decided against ruining their fun.

* * *

**_In the kitchen…_**

Leo proceeded towards the kitchen to speak with Raphael.

Raph was leaning against the counter, gulping down a glass of water. He turned his head and quirked his brow at Leonardo as he walked up to him.

"You need to apologise to Kara," Leo said simply.

Raph frowned. "And why's that Fearless?" He said, downing the rest of the water and putting the glass by the sink.

"She thinks you're right about her abandoning her parents. She's beating herself up about it. The guilt's gonna eat her from the inside out if you don't apologise."

"What's a simple apology gonna do?" Raph asked, rolling his eyes.

"She took what you said to heart, Raph, so maybe you can take it back," Leo said.

"I ain't apologisin' ta no one, Fearless," Raph said bitterly, barging past Leo and marching to the dojo.

* * *

**_Half an hour later…_**

Donnie had been in his lab all day. The first time he came out was to beckon everyone into the lab. Mikey tapped Kara on the shoulder and told her to come to the lab before he and Alex left.

She wrapped the headphones around the iPod and stood up. She saw Raphael heading towards the lab, a towel round his shoulders and his face pouring with sweat. He'd obviously been working out in the dojo.

"Raphael," she said. He turned to look at her, wondering why she was talking to him. "Mikey let me borrow this," she held up the iPod. "Do you want it back?"

He walked up to her and snatched the device out of her hand. She rolled her eyes and headed to the lab.

_Invades my home, wants me ta apologise, and steals my things. Who does she think she is? Princess gets everything she wants, _He thought bitterly.

When they were all gathered in the lab, including Master Splinter, Donnie cleared his throat from where he was sitting in a wheelie chair. Kara was sitting in another wheelie chair with Alex sitting on her lap. The others were standing behind them.

"Great, now that we're all here… I've found some more information on the chip." Everyone leaned forward.

"But how? I thought information about the chip was strictly confidential," Kara asked, amazed at the geniusness of Donatello.

"I hacked into some military data files. It took a few hours, but it was worth it," Donnie explained. "The chip needs to be inserted into the back of the neck in order for it to take effect. Think of it like a computer: the chip, like a virus, wipes all of the data and memory and you have to start fresh. The wearer would no longer have a mind of their own and anyone could make them do anything. The chip fries the hard drive, the brain, and the chip becomes a replacement for the brain. The body becomes dependant on the chip and once it's removed, and the body needs to rely on the human brain again, the wearer is at risk of dying. Because the brain isn't in use whilst the chip is worn, it slowly begins to die and more brain damage is caused over time. The longer the chip is worn, the more likely the wearer will die from severe brain damage."

"So once the chip is worn, there's no going back," Kara said.

"Basically. It's very unlikely for the wearer to be unharmed when the chip is removed. It's an exemplary piece of equipment yet the effects are highly deleterious," Donnie said. Everyone was silent, thinking. Kara ran a shaky hand through her hair. Alex leaned on her and she wrapped her arms around him.

"We need to find this thing. Fast," Leonardo said, stating the obvious.

"I think we need to reflect on this over dinner," Master Splinter said calmly.

Everyone filed out of the room and made their way to the kitchen. They all sat at the table while Mikey got the pizza out of the oven. Everyone ate in silence. Everyone seemed to be off in their own little world. It was the longest meal of their lives.

When everyone was finally finished, Mikey collected everyone's plates and put them in the sink. Kara stood in the doorway, observing the occupants of her temporary home. Leonardo and Master Splinter were quietly conversing at the table. Mikey and her brother were washing up and Mikey was trying to cheer Alex up by igniting a bubble fight. Raphael walked out of the kitchen, bumping her shoulder as he did. Kara's temper flared and this time, she couldn't find it in herself to contain it.

_That's IT! _She thought. She grabbed him by his mask tails and yanked him round to face her.

"What's your problem?!" She shouted at him. He seemed taken aback by her sudden burst of energy but glared at her anyway. Her cold, piercing blue eyes were penetrating into his very soul. Everyone's attention was on them and the whole room went silent.

"You!" He yelled, poking a finger at her. "Yer my problem!"

"Raphael!" Master Splinter shouted, but he ignored him.

She slapped his hand away. "Why?! What did I _ever _do to you?"

"You _invade _my home and act like yer suddenly the Queen of Everything," he yelled, waving his hands around for emphasis. "And you lock yourself away in yer room, feelin' sorry for yourself like a spoiled little _brat!" _Everyone was staring at him, wide eyed and mouths gaping. "Ya may think that everyone's right where ya wanted them, putty in yer hands. Well here's a news flash Princess; I ain't fallin' for it!"

Kara was glaring daggers at him. Scrap daggers, she was glaring rocket launchers at him. "Maybe, I should take my '_spoiled'_ self and get out of your way then!"

"Fine!" He yelled.

"FINE!" She shoved passed him and grabbed Alex's soapy wrist. "Come on, Alex. We're leaving."

"Kara, wait-" Alex began but was cut off by Kara's yell.

"NOW Alexander!" His eyes went even wider than before when she said his full name. He let her drag him to their room to grab a few clothes.

"Kara, please-" He tried again but it was no use.

"One incident. _One _incident and we're outta here. That was the deal," she said, shoving a few clothes into her backpack.

Mikey came speeding into the room with a pained expression on his face.

"Kara, don't go! Raph was being a prick! He didn't mean it!" He shouted frantically.

"I don't believe that for a second," she growled. She finished shoving whatever else she could find in the backpack and quickly put on her black hoody and put Alex's on him.

She ran past Mikey, pulling Alex behind her. When she got to the living room, everyone, except for Raph who was hiding out in the kitchen, was formed in an almost barrier in front of the door. She marched up to Leonardo.

"Move," she demanded, her voice dangerously low.

"Kara, think about this. The Foot are out to get you and if you go out there you can't be protected," he reasoned, but Kara wasn't in the mood to be reasoned with. Her temper was already up and it wasn't going down anytime soon.

She barged passed him and he went to snatch her wrist but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Leonardo, if she does not wish to stay then we cannot force her to," Master Splinter said. Kara fled out of the exit, Alex in tow.

"However, Raphael, you could follow to ensure some extra protection," he said deliberately louder than necessary, making sure Raph could hear him.

Raph slowly emerged from the kitchen, his face expressionless. He nodded and grabbed his hat and trench coat.

"Raphael." Master Splinter stopped him. "All mistakes are forgivable, but only if one has the courage to admit them."

Raph gave a firm nod and ran out of the lair entrance. He sprinted to the nearest manhole and found the cover half off.

_What have I done? _Raph thought, hoping that when he found her, it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Kara ran through the inanimate streets of New York, the thunder booming above her and the rain drenching her and Alex's clothes, making them heavy and hard to run in. They were both miserable. They were both depressed. They were both moody.

Is seemed like whenever, wherever they were, they were always running. They ran from enemies, their own home… even from the ones that Kara thought could be trusted.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**_I do not own the song "Unwanted" by Avril Lavigne I have just shortened it. ENJOY!_**

Raphael leapt from rooftop to rooftop as the thunder rumbled in the sky. He charged through the pouring rain, flinching every now and then when a raindrop struck him in the eye. He'd been searching for Kara and Alex for about an hour, growing even more worried with every passing minute. He stopped on a taller building and scanned the area.

"C'mon, Kara… Where are ya…" he mumbled to himself. He strained his ears to try and hear something, anything that would indicate that she was nearby. A scream, a cry for help, anything… However what he _did _hear shocked him.

A roar.

* * *

They had been running for so long. Kara had lost track of time after about twenty minutes. Their legs were aching, their arms were hurting. They were cold, wet and miserable.

_No, I just don't understand why  
you won't talk to me_

He was such a hard person to comprehend. He wouldn't show any kind of emotion apart from sarcasm and anger.

_It hurts that I'm so unwanted for nothing  
Don't talk words against me_

She was so pissed. She did _nothing _and he accuses her of "invading" his home. She didn't deserve what he did to her. _I did nothing to deserve this shit, _she thought.

_I wanted to know you  
I wanted to show you_

She _tried _to get along with him. She reluctantly gave his iPod back and he repaid her by yanking it out of her hands without so much as a thank you.

_You don't know me  
Don't ignore me_

He made no effort what so ever to even _try _to get to know her or to even tolerate her. She did her part of the bargain and he was nothing but horrible to her in return.

_You don't want me there  
You just shut me out_

She refused to stay at a place where she was unwanted. She refused to be treated so poorly. When he wasn't insolently ignoring her, he was giving her dirty looks or insulting her!

_You don't know me  
Don't ignore me  
If you had your way  
You'd just shut me up_

She'd never known someone to hate her so much. The bullies who used to pick on her did it for their own entertainment, not because they _hated _her. She'd thought that he would've at least been able to put up with her, not go to such extreme measures to get her out of his home…

_Make me go away_

She scoffed. _Well, he got what he wanted, didn't he? _She thought.

They had reached the docks. It was somewhere that their parents had taken them regularly when they were younger. They stood on the edge, their eyes searching for the same thing, a boat. It wasn't any old boat though; it was the boat that their parents owned. It wasn't anything special but it was the quickest way off of Manhattan Island from where they were. They hid the keys in a hidden compartment in the floor of the boat and Kara realised that her parents had deliberately left them there for this occasion.

"There," Alex said glumly, pointing to a petite retired fishing boat.

She hurriedly began making her way to it, hoping that luck would be on her side and they wouldn't get caught.

But, of course, just before she reached the one thing that would guarantee their safety, two dark shadows intercepted their path and ruined their last hope of escaping.

_Fuck luck. Luck's out to get me,_ she thought bitterly. But Kara didn't come this far to lose.

Her grip tightened on Alex as she peered behind her to find, as she expected, three more shadows surrounding them. She could barely see them through the pouring rain and the thickness of the dark.

Dark.

Oh, how she loved the dark.

_It conceals the things you don't want to see and protects you from the things you don't want to be seen by._

She felt something seeping through her tattered boots and looked down to find herself standing in a conveniently placed puddle. She wasted no time in shifting her foot to gather as much water as she could and kicking her leg, splashing the two ninjas in front of her. They seemed startled and she took that as her chance to push past them and leg it. She was shocked that that actually worked.

She mentally rolled her eyes. _Some ninja, _she thought sarcastically. She could tell that the Shredder hired anyone he could get his hands on. It was about numbers to him, not skills or intelligence. They seemed to be about as sharp as a marble.

When she thought they had ran far enough, they ducked behind some crates. She put her hood up and Alex copied. She put her finger to her lips and listened intently, desperately trying to hear whether they were near.

"Are they gone?" Alex whispered. Kara's eyes went wide as she knew he had just given away their position and jumped when a foot and a leg came crashing through the wooden crate they were taking cover by.

"NO!" She yelled as Alex was yanked away from her by the hood.

"KAR-" Alex screamed but his cry for help was muffled when a ninja put his hand over his mouth. Alex bit his hand and yelled, "Let. Me. GO!" He was once again silenced when the ninja twisted his arm behind his back.

Four of the ninjas formed a barrier in front of her, separating her from Alex. The fifth had Alex in a strong hold, which was visibly hurting him.

"Dear Karianna, you actually think you can win? You have an entire army against you. You won't reach victory… Yet, there is still a possibility for you to live if you come with us now, nice and quietly," The ninja in the middle said.

"I _won't _stop fighting. You WILL lose!" She shouted.

The ninja chuckled – a hollow, dark chuckle. "You are fuelled with false hope, you see… you've already lost." He reached into his uniform and retrieved a thin golden band. Kara watched in horror as he threw it towards her, as it clashed with the ground at her feet with a _clang _which made her ears ring. She slowly bent down and picked it up, slipping it onto her wrist. It was her mother's, the one she always wore and never took off.

"You're lying," she whispered.

"Oh, they're not dead yet," he said. He grinned evilly. "But they will be soon. You see, I was one of the lucky few who got to teach your bitch of a mother a lesson. She cried out your name. She begged you to save her… But you weren't there," he taunted, that sickening, toothy smirk still on his face.

Her rage was building, gradually reaching its peak. He went way over the limit. He wanted this, he wanted to push her. He wanted her to explode in fury. Usually she wouldn't grant him the satisfaction but he was close to seeing the monster she could be. She tried to calm herself; she knew her mother wasn't weak enough to beg Kara to save her. _He's lying, _she thought, _he's lying._

But the sick little bastard wanted more. "You want to protect the ones you love, Karianna…" he paused and nodded to the person holding Alex "…but you _failed." _The ninja with Alex raised his hand and struck him, causing Alex to yelp in pain.

Kara snapped.

She roared an animalistic roar. She pounced on the ninja who was taunting her and grabbed him by the neck. She tackled him down to the floor and smashed his skull onto the concrete beneath them, screaming until her throat was raw. She felt her hands drenched with the crimson, thick liquid but it was immediately washed away by the rain.

The rest of the ninjas ran to her and removed her from the motionless corpse of their fellow assassin. She was held by three of them while the remaining one stood in front of her, shaking his head.

"Tut, tut, tut. Didn't know ya had it in ya kid. Never pinned ya to be the murdering type." Her eyes went wide as she processed his words and she looked down at her once blood covered hands.

"Guess someone outta teach ya that killin' ain't nice." Her head snapped up and she saw him reaching for his belt for a shuriken. She thought he was going to strike her until he turned towards her defenceless brother. Alex's eyes went wide and he froze in shock. The ninja raised his hand, up and up until… release.

Everything went in slow motion.

Kara could see the weapon leave his hand, hurtling towards her brother at an immense speed. She screamed and tore away from the ones attempting to restrict her. She sprinted like her life depended on it… Alex's life _did _depend on it.

She hurled herself at him, trying to make the shuriken miss. They toppled over the edge of the docks and dived into the unforgiving black sea, swallowed by the lapping waves…

But it was too late.

And as they plummeted into the freezing cold water, Kara heard a distant yell.

"KARA!"

* * *

Raphael arrived at the scene just in time to see Alex get hit in the stomach with a shuriken and to see Kara throw herself at him.

"KARA!" He yelled as they plunged into the churning water. The Foot looked up to the building he was standing on and prepared to attack.

Raph snarled as he leapt off of the building, onto a stack of crates and down to the ground. He darted to the edge and reached his hand into the water, desperately searching for Kara and Alex. He sensed a ninja approaching him and he quickly turned and plunged his sais into his stomach. The ninja gasped and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he collapsed into a heap on the floor. Raph glowered at the remaining three ninjas and bared his teeth like an animal, daring them to make a move. They immediately tensed and retreated, figuring they'd given Kara an effective warning.

He rushed back to the edge and his eyes widened at what he saw. The water was a deep and sickening shade of red.

* * *

The cold shot through her body and rapidly made her body numb. She screamed as the waves flung a piece of debris at her leg, piercing her skin and tearing the flesh all the way down her thigh. When her mouth opened to shriek, it was instantly filled with the repulsive mix of salt water, muck and… blood? She began to panic, thrashing and squirming as she was thrown about by the waves.

She felt her hand clinging onto something and she remembered that that "something" was her incredibly injured brother. She needed to breathe and more importantly, she needed to get Alex out of the water before it was too late. Problem was, she had no idea which way was up. She was completely disorientated. She shot her hand above her, hoping that it would find air. She felt the wind stroke her hand, making it sting with the cold. She thrust her other arm, which was holding Alex, up above the water. She felt her brother being lifted from her grasp but she didn't know if she should be relieved or worried, fearing that whoever was assisting him was a threat. Her now free arm enabled her to force her arms down and drive her out of the deadly water, frantically kicking her legs at the same time.

She was so relieved when oxygen entered her desperate lungs that she could've cried. She inhaled as much of the precious air as she could, flopping the top half of her body onto the solid, still, safe ground.

_I'm never swimming again, _she thought.

She lay there coughing and spluttering, wheezing with every painful intake of breath. She was shaking uncontrollably and whether it was from shock or the cold she was unsure. She felt a hand on her back and she tilted her head to see who it belonged too. Her eyes met the face of the red masked turtle, his golden eyes contrasting against his dark skin. She became enraged when he saw him, obviously not forgetting how he had offended her, despite the traumatic events that had just occurred.

"_Don't…_Touch…me…" She snarled between her gasps.

She heaved the rest of herself out of the water, collapsing once again out of exhaustion. She groaned as she felt the disgusting water that she swallowed crawl back up her throat. She got on her hands and knees and threw up over the edge. She turned back to Raphael to find him cradling Alex, his body unmoving.

"No…" She whispered, tears forming in her eyes but she refused to cry. It wouldn't make the situation any better. She needed to try and stop the bleeding so she ripped her pant leg to make a temporary bandage. She knew this could potentially cause an infection, but Raphael's mask was too small to cover the wound. She wrapped it around his stomach and tied it securely.

"C'mon," Raph said. "We need ta go." She looked up at him and glowered. "Donnie can fix him," he reasoned. She peered down at her brother's limp form and nodded.

Raph picked Alex up as Kara slowly and painfully rose, leaning on her good leg. He noticed this and look at her injured leg, frowning. He decided to leave it for now since she wasn't complaining and she eagerly wanted to get her brother to Don.

They went as fast as they could to the nearest manhole, Kara limping all the way. Raph carefully climbed down, making sure to move Alex as little as possible. Kara winced every time she put pressure on her leg as she climbed, half fell down the ladder.

"Run ahead," she panted. "I'm slowing you down." She leaned against the wall of the sewers, trying to ignore the slime. She was still shaking and the blood hadn't stopped flowing out of her wound.

"I can't jus' leave ya here by yerself," Raph said. He didn't want her to take off again, but he figured she wouldn't just abandon her brother.

"Go. _Now,_" she growled, looking up at him and narrowing her eyes.

Raph looked down at Alex and realised that he was _very _close to slipping away.

"Ya sure yer okay?" He asked.

"Who cares! Now GO!" she ordered, pointing at him.

He frowned but continued to head towards the lair at a faster rate. He ran with such speed, yet with such gracefulness and within ten minutes he was standing at the lair entrance. He punched in the code on the hidden keypad and slipped through the parting bricks.

"Don!" He shouted as he ran to his lab. Donnie met him at the door and moved aside to let Raph in. He took one look at Alex and his face paled.

"Oh, god…" He whispered as Raph gently placed the soaking wet Alex on the table. The whole family was standing in the doorway, each with an expression of devastation on their faces. Mikey hurried to Alex's side with tears in his eyes. He gulped.

"Is Kara…" he trailed off.

"Kara's alive, Mike," Raph said, placing a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder. Raph darted out of the lab and sprinted to where she would hopefully be waiting.

* * *

She staggered and stumbled through the darkness, slipping every now. She could feel herself becoming weaker with every step, her eyes gradually growing heavier and heavier. She slipped and collapsed onto her hands and knees, groaning as she felt the impact. She gave up trying to stand so she slid over to the wall and leaned her back against it. She looked down at her leg and found it absolutely soaked in blood. When she shifted, the dried blood cracked and went all flaky. She tore her other pant leg to try and make another bandage and she tightly wrapped it around her injury.

Her shakes increased when the cold winter air made itself known, making her shiver. She was still drenched with the dirty, bitter water and the cool air felt as if it was freezing her skin. The sewers were thankfully warmer than above, but not enough to make her feel any better.

Her shock had died down and her adrenaline was all used up so the deep cut in her leg was suddenly unbelievably agonizing. She was almost glad that Alex was unconscious, so he wouldn't feel the pain.

Alex…

She knew it was very likely to arrive at the lair and find her baby brother dead.

"He won't die," she reassured herself. "He can't die. It's just not possible." She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to create some comfort and shielding herself from the cold.

The bandage wasn't working as well as she'd hoped and she couldn't make it to the lair without collapsing again. As much as she hated to admit it… she needed Raphael to come back to get her before she slowly bled to death.

_My life depends on that damn turtle… Great. _

She didn't even know if he would come back for her. He might think that she could come back on her own or he might've forgotten about her completely. She could feel the blood draining from her body, making her light headed. Gray splodges clouded her vision and she shook her head to try and get rid of them, but failed miserably. She felt her eyelids close, unable to open them again and she slipped into the glorious, pain-free state of unconsciousness.

* * *

Raph returned to the spot where he left Kara, only to find her slouched against the wall, her legs in a small puddle of blood. He rushed to her side, shaking her shoulder.

"Kara, wake up," he said, gently hitting her face. He looked down at her leg and saw that she had wrapped it up. The blood was still seeping out from the wound though and he needed to get her to Don immediately. He picked her up with his hands supporting her back and underneath her knees. He tried to put his hand over the wound and put pressure on it. He sprinted back to the lair, his feet barley making a sound against the damp sewer floor.

When he reached the entrance, and when the bricks slid open, he felt Kara stir. She opened her eyes a crack and immediately squeezed them shut to shield them from the sudden light. She groaned and attempted to look around again, and saw Raphael's face above her. Now that he could see her clearly in the light, he saw that her already pale skin had now completely lost it's color.

"Let go of me," she grumbled, feebly pushing against his plastron which was now damp from Kara's dripping clothes.

"Ya can't even stand," he said back, making her glare.

"I _can _and I _will. _Now, put. Me. _Down," _she demanded, piercing his eyes with her own. He sighed in frustration but reluctantly complied. Once she was set on her feet, she swayed and Raph held her elbow for support. She slapped it away, regaining her balance and leaning against the wall.

Mikey peaked out of the lab when he heard the two conversing and saw Kara still in one piece.

"Kara!" He shouted. He was so overjoyed that he failed to notice her wounded leg. He bounded over to her and enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug. She let a strangled gasp escape her lips and her eyes went wide.

"Mikey!" Raph growled, separating his brother from the poor girl. Mikey _then _realised her injury and gasped.

"Sorry! Oh, shell I'm such an idiot… Kara, I'm so sorry!" He said, worried that he had hurt her.

Kara groaned slightly, but waved him off. "It's okay Mikey, you didn't know."

"Bu-" he started but was cut off when Kara raised her hand to silence him.

"No buts. It's all forgotten. Now, where's Alex?" She said, her voice dead serious. Mikey gulped and pointed to the lab. She began to limp/stagger towards the lab when Mikey slid an arm around her waist and put her own over his shoulders.

When they walked through the metal door, everyone's eyes were on her. She lowered her gaze ever so slightly, as if she was worried that they were judging her. All of that self consciousness melted away when she saw her brother, lying on that horrible table in the middle of the room.

The world stopped around her.

She could see that the wound was deep… very deep… His face looked saggy and drained, with heavy bags under his eyes. His skin was a sickly shade, almost grey, much like her own. She let go of Mikey and stumbled over to Alex's side. She fell to her knees as she grasped his hand, leaning her head on the table.

"I'm so sorry…" she whispered. "So, so sorry…" They had dried him off as much as they could and wrapped him in a warm, woolly blanket – the one that the old lady had given to him. He was hooked up to many of Don's monitors, and the horrible _beeping _noise was coming from one of them. She supposed she should be relieved to hear that his heart was still beating, but she couldn't find it in herself to feel anything positive. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see that it belonged to Donatello.

"He's lost a lot of blood… I need to stitch that wound up soon… I just wanted you to be here first," he said, peering over at the boy.

She reached up and squeezed his hand. "Thank you," she whispered. He nodded and looked at her wound.

"I need to stitch that up too." Kara shook her head.

"He needs it more than I do right now. I'll just put a fresh bandage on for now," she said. He was reluctant, but he nodded, knowing that Alex needed his assistance a lot more. He got a bandage out of the cupboard and a towel from the counter, handing them to her. He helped her off the floor and Leo came to support her. He helped her to the living room, and set her on the couch. He undid the dirty strip around her thigh and took the bandage from her.

"I can do it," she said, reaching to take it back but he held it out of her reach and frowned.

"So can I," he replied, making her narrow her eyes. He used the towel to gently dab away the excess blood and water.

Mikey came running in from the lab, carrying a bottle and a blanket.

"Don says to put this on," he said, giving the bottle of antiseptic to Leo.

"This'll sting…" he warned and applied it to her cut. She hissed and squeezed her eyes shut. It hurt almost as much as when she was stabbed by the debris.

"Sorry…" Leo mumbled, wrapping the bandage around her thigh and tying a knot.

Mikey came over and sat next to Kara, covering her with the woolly blanket.

"So… what happened, Kar?" He asked hesitantly, wondering if it was too soon. Raphael was stood in the corner, leaning against the wall and trying to stay out of Kara's way. He'd find a way to apologise later.

Kara took a deep, shaky breath, wondering if she could handle reliving the tale.

After a moment of hesitation, she said "We arrived at the docks to find my parents' boat and the Foot showed up. I distracted them and we hid behind some crates but they found us and took Alex… one ninja was taunting me and then Alex was hit… I sorta lost it and tackled him and…" Her eyes were wide and she didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell them that she had murdered someone, could she?

"And what, Kar?" Mikey pushed, earning a warning glance from Leonardo.

"I…" she hesitated, "killed… him…" Everyone's eyes went wide, including Raphael's, and Mikey put an arm around her shoulders. She tried to pull away but he wouldn't let her.

"Let me comfort you," he whispered in her ear. She rolled her eyes.

"They got me off of him and they said they needed to teach me a lesson so he got out a shuriken and… aimed at Alex. I got out of the ninja's hold and tried to push Alex out of the way but… it was too late," she said in small voice. "We fell in the water and a piece of debris did this," she gestured to her bandaged thigh. "I couldn't protect him… I failed to keep him from harm…" she said her eyes lowering to the ground.

"You didn't fail, Kara. You got him home in one piece… kinda…" Mikey said awkwardly. Leo rolled his eyes and decided to take it from there.

"What Mikey is _trying _to say is that Alex would be dead if it wasn't for you. You managed to keep the Foot away from him and you brought him back to safety. You're safe now and nothings gonna get you two," Leo said.

She shook her head, obviously not convinced. Removing Mikey's arm from her shoulders, she stood and walked to the lab, passing Raphael on the way but completely ignoring him.

_Great, _he thought. _The silent treatment._

She was about to open the door when Master Splinter stepped out. He looked at her sympathetically, making her temper spark but she didn't show it. She hated being pitied. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Your courage astonishes me Miss Evans. Alex is fortunate to have someone like you to be there for him," he said, looking into her eyes. "Never give up, for even in the darkest times, there is always hope." Kara nodded determinedly.

"I'll never give up."

Master Splinter smiled at her determination and nodded in return. He proceeded to his room to meditate on the events of the evening, praying that Alex would make it through the night. He had given Donatello a cream made of fresh, Japanese herbs to give to Alex after he'd stitched him up.

Kara opened the door to the lab, closing it behind her. Don was cleaning up all of the equipment and Kara could see the blood still on his hands and on the table. The sight made her sick to her stomach. She was never the squeamish type, but seeing her own brother's blood splattered on the table in front of her…well… it wasn't a pleasant thing to witness.

"Hey," Don said, wiping his hands off with the towel. "How are you?"

"Is Alex okay?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"I've done as much as I can. The bleeding has stopped but he's lost a lot of blood… all we can do now is wait for his body to heal itself."

"Is there still a chance of him… y'know… not waking up?" She said hesitantly. "And don't even think about lying." She pulled the blanket tighter around herself.

Don took a deep breath. "Well… yeah…" Don said, scratching the back of his head.

"Okay, how likely is it that he will… y'know?" She pushed.

Don hesitated. "Let's get that leg checked out."

* * *

It was past midnight but Kara had no idea what time it was. She had been sitting on a stool by the cot which they had put Alex on. They were the only ones in the lab as everyone had turned in for the night. Leonardo had ordered Kara to bed which she had blatantly rejected, saying that if he was ever to order her about again, he would end up on the medical table.

She was desperately trying to stay awake, wanting to immediately assist him if he were to need it. She was holding his cold, small hand with both of her own, talking to him about absolutely nothing. She had been rambling on for the past twenty minutes about how she had discovered a petite restaurant not too far from their now burned down apartment, which sold the best banoffee pie that she'd ever tasted.

"I'll take you there when you wake up. I know you don't like bananas, but it tastes real good with the toffee. We'll get a whole pie and eat it at the docks…" she frowned. "No, not the docks. We'll eat it somewhere new. Maybe in Central Park, we've always loved it there… it reminds us of England." She fiddled with his motionless fingers, trying to warm them up.

"I'm sorry this happened," she whispered. "I couldn't protect you… I let them hurt you…" She sighed, shaking her head to rid herself of the horrible thoughts. "Don't worry, I'll make it up to you when you wake up." She paused and held his hand tighter.

"And I won't let _anyone _hurt you _ever _again. I promise."

_**Welp, there you are folks! Hope ya liked it :-P Review please!**_


	9. Chapter 8

**_Hey! Here's another chappy! But before I continue I want to ask you something. A reviewer said that this should be a RaphxKara fic. Now, I was actually considering this when I began writing but I wasn't sure. So, I just want your opinion. When you leave a review if you could tell me what you want that'll be great! But if I include some romance in this story it won't take over the adventurness. It wouldn't change into a soppy, lovey dovey romance fic and the story would still be focused on the mission. There would be some cute little 'moments' but they won't be cheesy. Kara won't turn into the classic soft damsel in distress who waits for her knight in shining armour to come save her. No, I think we can all establish that she isn't the type to wait around for a saviour XD If she's locked away in a tower, she'll blow the damn door down herself!_**

**_Anyway… Onward my trusty readers! *Point to imaginary horizon in a lame heroic pose*_**

**Chapter 8**

Two weeks had passed since that horrendous night and Alex still hadn't woken up. Donatello had put a tracker in her and Alex's cell phones to try and prevent another incident occurring but Kara had strongly objected. Don then explained that he understood her need for independence so he made the tracker optional. She could activate it whenever she needed to be assisted and she could deactivate it when she wanted to be left alone… not that she'd be going topside anytime soon with Leo's mother hen attitude.

Kara had hardly slept and she refused to leave Alex's side. She only had three showers, she didn't go to bed in her room and she didn't even come out to eat. The turtles had resorted to bringing her food, supervising Alex when she went to the bathroom and waiting till she finally fell asleep to lay her down on the second cot they had put in the lab.

Leo had tried so hard to get her to have a full night's rest in her own room or to come out and eat breakfast with the family. He had pushed too far once and she snapped at him.

"Would _you _leave _your _brothers at time like this?!"

He backed off since then, but made sure that she was comfortable when she _was _asleep.

Don had stitched up her leg and the bleeding had stopped. Don was the first to notice that she hadn't eaten anything in a while, and he was the first to start up the routine of bringing her food. She did eat the food; she even stuffed it down as soon as she got it because she was so hungry. Don was somewhat relieved about this, since she clearly wasn't _refusing _the food despite her depression. He was pretty sure that Kara would _never _suffer from anorexia with her appetite.

Mikey tried every day to get her to smile. The cheesy jokes didn't work, the funny impressions didn't work… Even pranking Raph didn't work. A sleepy, unaware turtle wearing a pink died mask was pretty darn hilarious. It even made Master Splinter chuckle. But, much to Mikey's disappointment, it still wasn't enough to make her laugh. After a week he decided that this was going nowhere, so he just sat with her in the lab and read his comic books. Sometimes silent company is the best source of comfort.

Raphael was having a tough time trying to apologise to Kara. Even after two weeks, she was _still_ giving him the silent treatment. When it was his turn to bring her food, he tried to at least get her to look at him. He was having no luck and seeing Alex in lying on the cot, seeing the devastated way she looked at her baby brother just made Raph's guilt worse. He would never admit it, but he was having a tough time being ignored. He was never an attention seeker and sometimes he wished that Leo would ignore him… but he didn't like that Kara took no notice of him when he was trying so hard to talk to her. He finally decided to stop trying, figuring that she was bound to come around eventually… hopefully…

Everyone was urgently trying to get Kara to come out of the lab. It wasn't healthy to be locked away for that long and even though Don sometimes did it when he was working on an invention, Leo was always able to lure him out somehow, whether it was with freshly made coffee or with Mikey's constant nagging.

So, if the whole mutant family couldn't persuade her to come out, it was time to bring in the big guns.

She arrived the next morning, wearing her famous purple T-shirt and baggy pants. She was greeted by Leonardo. An exchange of wordless nods took place before she continued to the kitchen.

She made two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and proceeded to the lab. She set the mugs on the counter by the cot, lightly kissed Alex on the forehead and sat next to Kar, hugging her, all without a single word. Kara allowed this hug, since she missed April very much and desperately needed another female to talk to. April reached over and got the two mugs, silently handing one to Kara, who gratefully accepted it. They both sat there, enjoying the quiet, sipping their delicious hot drinks, just like they had when they first met.

When they had drained the contents of their mugs, April turned to Kara.

"Honey, we need to get you out of here," she said, getting to the point.

Kara rolled her eyes. "I can't leave him, April. What if he needs me? What if he wakes up and I'm not there? What if-" she started rambling but April cut her off.

"The guys will call us and we'll come straight back."

"I can't leave him," Kara repeated, determined to stay put… but April was having none of it. You know what she did? She leaned closer and sniffed Kara. That's right, she leaned over and took a big, long whiff of her. Kara had a horrified look on her face, mixed with utter confusion and a look that said "you belong in a mental institute."

April returned to her spot. "Girl, you stink."

Kara looked flabbergasted. "Excuse me?"

April nodded. "You heard me. You _need _a shower and you're leaving this room."

"No I'm not," Kara said back, equally determined.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes. You. _Are."_

_"_No. I'm. NOT!"

The turtles were listening in the living room. They wondered if they should interfere, but decided against it. Any guy with common sense knows not to get involved with two hot tempered women. Any guy who was dumb enough to interfere would get one heck of an ass whooping.

"Get your ass up those stairs before I drag you there myself!"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna bet?"

A moment of silence followed but it was soon interrupted.

"AH!" They heard Kara's yelp followed by a loud thud. They all ran to the lab door and were about to enter when it was suddenly flung wide open. Out came April O'Neil dragging Kara's struggling body by the foot. Kara was kicking and squirming and as she passed the door, she grabbed onto it, holding it like it was her lifeline.

"Get OFF of me!" Kara yelled. April ignored her and continued to try and yank her off the door. She started smacking her legs and Kara kept on kicking to get April to release her hold. April finally wrenched Kara away from the door and proceeded to haul her across the living room. They were both shouting at each other, occasionally shrieking when they got hit.

The turtles were stood there, astounded at what April had achieved. The emotionless, cold Kara had completely vanished and now she was suddenly a burst of energy. April really was a genius.

Master Splinter rushed out of his room to see what all the noise was about. The sight that he witnessed was… strange to say the least. He shook his head and smirked returning to his room, leaving the two struggling girls to deal with their… issues…

By now, April had finally dragged Kara all the way to the stairs. She dropped Kara's leg and sat on her, pinning her hands by her sides.

"Do you surrender?" April demanded.

"NEVER!" Kara yelled, still fighting against April's hold.

"Good. More fun for me."

Kara looked at her cautiously, wondering what she was up to. April raised her hands, preparing for an unknown attack. The boys tensed, worried about what April's move would be.

Her hands shot down to Kara's waist and she began wiggling her fingers. Kara desperately tried to contain the laughter as April relentlessly tickled her. She couldn't control it any longer and she finally burst into a fit of giggles. April beamed as she accomplished her goal but didn't hesitate to continue to mercilessly tickle her.

The turtles, except Raph, were all smiling brightly, overjoyed with the sound of Kara's long awaited laughter. Raph was also pleased but he tried not to show it. Yet, if someone looked closer at his face, they'd see the tiniest smirk. It was music to theirs ear and an absolute delight to see Kara smiling.

Kara was in tears and as she was laughing, a snort escaped her mouth. April immediately stopped and stared at her. Kara covered her mouth with her hands and her eyes went wide.

After a moment of astonishment, everyone burst out laughing. Donnie and Leo were leaning on each other for support as they cracked up, Raph threw his head back and barked out a laugh and Mikey was bent over with his hands on his knees, chuckling uncontrollably.

"You're a snorter?" April said between giggles.

Kara shook her head, her hands still firmly clamped over her mouth. April tickled her again and as she expected, Kara gave another snort of laughter. Kara frowned at her, almost pouting.

"Do you surrender _now_?" April asked again.

"No," Kara replied stubbornly, crossing her arms.

April sighed and shook her head. She helped Kara off the floor only to heave her up over her shoulder and trudge up the stairs. Kara kept hitting April's back to make her put her down, but was unsuccessful. It was easy to underestimate April's strength. The guys usually forgot about her past training.

April reached the top and shoved Kara in the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

"You can come out when you've brushed your teeth, taken a shower and changed into some _fresh _clothes. You better come out smelling ten times better than you did before, and I mean as good as the Queen's rose garden, you hear me?"

"I'll kill you O'Neil!" Kara shouted, pounding on the door.

"I'll take that as a yes. Remember, the sooner you're done, the sooner you can come out, got it? I'll put your clothes by the door."

"How generous," Kara grumbled sarcastically.

It was only twenty minutes later when she emerged from the bathroom, hair dripping and smelling fresh. She was wearing a thick grey sweater with black jeans and fluffy white socks, an improvement from the tank top and shorts she'd been wearing for the past 2 days.

She limped down the steps, leaning on the wall for support. Donnie had offered to get her some crutches but she refused, saying that she didn't need them. It only hurt a little bit when she put her weight on her bad leg.

Once she reached the bottom, she began thinking about the little stunt April pulled. She was definitely going to get her back for that.

_Would the guys kill me if I killed her?_

She pondered that thought as she made her way to the kitchen. The delightful smell of eggs and bacon caught her attention and she increased her pace.

April was humming to herself as she cooked Kara a large, fattening lunch. She didn't even turn round when Kara entered, but she somehow knew she was there.

"I see you've had your shower," she said over the satisfying sizzle of the bacon. "Well, I can _smell _that you've had it." Kara knew she was smirking and she rolled her eyes.

"Remind me to return the favour," Kara sneered sarcastically. April snickered as she put the plate of delicious food on the table. Kara hopped over to the chair and sat down, savouring the smell of freshly cooked bacon. April sat opposite her with a cup of coffee, her mischievous grin replace with a benevolent smile.

"So what do you want to do today? We can do whatever you want," April asked, wrapping her slim fingers around her coffee mug.

"I _want _to stay with Alex," Kara replied, shoving a huge fork full of bacon in her mouth.

"Yeah, well you can't. Your brother has survived this long so he'll be okay if you go out for a couple of hours," April said.

"A lot can happen in a couple of hours, April," Kara said. "What time is it?" She tried to change the subject, but she was also generally curious. She completely lost track of time in the lab with the lack of a window and all.

April looked at her watch. "6:30."

"Evening?"

"Morning."

Kara raised her eyebrows. "Geez, why are you here so early?" She couldn't comprehend why someone in their right mind would be up this early… Then again, April made it quite clear that she was _not _in her right mind.

"The guys called me last night and told me to get here as soon as possible. They're really worried about you, y'know."

Kara didn't say anything. She didn't want them to worry about her.

Raphael entered the kitchen and got himself a glass of water. The turtles had just finished a brief training session, yet he was still pouring with sweat. He gulped down the water before nodding to April. She smiled in return and noticed the tension between the two other occupants of the kitchen. He glanced at Kara and received no reaction as she was staring intently at her now empty plate, still refusing to look at him. April noticed that he looked almost… dejected as he plodded out the kitchen, heading for the bathroom. She'd seen him in moods before but she'd never seen him remotely _sad.._

"You still haven't forgiven him, huh?" April said.

"Nope."

"Are you going to?"

"Nope."

April sighed. She'd been told about what Raph had done and she knew that for him to say that after all Kara had been through was despicable, but she still wanted Raph to be given a second chance.

"Has he apologised yet?" April asked hopefully.

"Nope, and I don't expect he will."

Kara got up from the table, put her plate by the sink and proceeded to walk back to the lab.

"Where you goin'?" April asked.

Kara paused at the door. "Doing what you asked. I'm going out for a bit."

April seemed thrilled. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Kara smiled at her enthusiasm. "Nah. I need some alone time. But I really do appreciate you coming over here. I needed it."

April's mischievous grin returned, remembering her effective methods of … _persuading _Kara out of hiding. The grin faded and turned into a look of caution as she worried about her safety.

Kara rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. It's dawn so the Foot won't be out and I'll turn on the tracker in my phone. I'll only be out for a bit. Maybe you and I can hang out here afterwards."

April beamed. "I'd like that."

Kara made her way to the lab, walking up to Alex's cot and kissing him on the forehead.

"I'll be back soon, Allie," she whispered.

She hurried upstairs to her room to grab her hoody and gloves. Before she left, she took a moment to scan her room, to absorb every detail of it. To be honest, she had missed this room. It'd finally began to feel like her own.

She sprinted back down the steps, stumbling once she reached the bottom. She was determined to not miss what she was going out to see. She darted through the parting bricks, passing Raphael on the way.

All Raph saw was a sudden blur of fiery red hair flying past him. He frowned and went to see April in the kitchen.

"Where's she goin'?" He asked.

"Out." April said shortly, putting her empty cup of coffee by the sink. She turned to face him. "Y'know, Raph, she would be more likely to forgive you if you apologised."

Raph sighed in frustration and ran a hand down his race. "I know, I know. I jus' don't know how ta do it. I've never had ta say sorry before… what should I say, Ape?"

April smiled at his inexperience. She walked over to him and placed a dainty hand on his muscular shoulder.

"Tell her what you feel. I know you don't like spilling your guts to people but neither does she. She probably wants to apologise for running off as well and she's probably having a hard time approaching the situation too. Just swallow your pride and get it over and done with."

Raph nodded slowly, considering this. "Yeah… okay…"

April made her way to the living room but paused at the door. "This is probably the only chance you'll get to speak to her alone."

A look of realisation crossed his face, soon replaced with a look of determination. He darted out of the lair entrance, leaving a slightly amused April to imagine him apologising for the first time. She could just picture Kara's irritated face as he either started stalling by awkwardly babbling on about nothing in particular or trying to ignite an extremely uncomfortable conversation with "soooo…." or "nice weather today."

* * *

She arrived just in time to see what she came for. Sunrise. She was sat on the roof one of the buildings next to the manhole she came out of. If anyone needed her they could find her easily enough.

She watched the sun slowly emerge from the horizon as it casted its rays, illuminating the entire city. She admired the beauty of the morning in New York. It truly was a tremendous sight to behold, though, it wasn't as beautiful as the sunrise in the English countryside, in her opinion. Nothing pleased her more than witnessing the sun shine on the fields and the trees which surrounded their home, highlighting the incredible variety of beautiful colors. She used the climb out onto their roof every morning to see the sunrise. She started the routine since she was big enough to climb out the window. She knew America had countryside as well, but it just wasn't… home. New York's sunrise was so different, but that's what made it a close second.

She sighed in content and closed her eyes, letting the gentle rays of the sun kiss her cheeks. She allowed her lips to curve upward to form the tiniest of smiles. It was the first time she _really _smiled for the past two weeks. It wasn't a sarcastic sneer or smirk; it was a true smile to signify her happiness. That rare sight was soon removed from her face when she heard someone clear their throat. Her eyes snapped open and she whirled her head round to face whoever interrupted her moment, rising from her spot as she did so.

Raph stood there awkwardly, fiddling with his sais in his belt.

"Uh… hey…" He said, earning a glare from Kara.

_Well, at least she's lookin' at me, _he thought.

She turned away from him and was about to head to the ladder which lead to the fire escape, but he stopped her.

"Wait!" He shouted panicky, making her pause and look at him expectantly. "I, uh… I just wanted ta…" He lowered his voice so it was quieter than a whisper. "I wanted ta apologise."

Kara didn't hear him, of course, so she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

"What?" She said exasperatedly, clearly wanting to leave.

"I wanted ta… uh… I just… well…" He stuttered.

_Man, this is harder than I thought._

"C'mon, Raph. Get it over and done with. Just swallow yer pride," he mumbled to himself.

Kara's eyes widened in fury as she misheard what he said.

"I'm _hollow _and _snide_?!" She shouted.

Raph eyes also widened. "No! I… Ugh. Look I just want ta apologise."

Kara's eyes softened ever so slightly but then she frowned in suspicion.

_That's awfully out of character, _she thought.

"_Really_?" She asked sceptically, titling her head.

Raph rolled his eyes, hating that this was dragging on longer than necessary.

"Yeah, '_really.' _So, do ya… forgive me?" He asked lamely.

Kara could've almost laughed at how pathetic he sounded… almost.

"You're not used to doing this are you?" She asked. He just crossed his arms and looked away. Her slight amusement disappeared.

"You wanted me out of your home so badly that you decided to verbally attack me until I left. What makes you think that I'll ever forgive you?" She demanded.

Raph shrugged. "I dunno…"

"Well, you must," she insisted, taking a step towards him. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't think I would forgive you."

Raph directed his gaze to meet hers again and ran a hand down his face with an irritated sigh.

"We're gonna be livin' together for a while… We're gonna have ta see eachother everyday," he reasoned.

"I can live without talking to you, even if we're living under the same roof," she countered.

"I came ta help ya after ya ran off," he tried again.

Her eyes flashed. "Not in time to save Alex!"

He was silent as he glared at the floor.

Kara sighed. She knew it wasn't his fault that Alex got hurt, but it was his fault for being a bastard. She frowned, thinking it over.

_It was his fault for being a bastard…But it wasn't his fault that I left. I _chose _to leave… and I put Alex in danger because of it._

She pushed her depressing thoughts aside as she focused back on her current situation.

"What did I ever do to you?" She asked quietly, her face expressionless.

He glanced at her before walking over to the edge and sitting down. Kara hesitated but joined him, awkwardly sitting next to him.

They sat there in silence for what seemed like forever. Raph had no idea what to say and he could just _feel _the awkwardness around them.

"Ya came inta our lives and you were easily accepted. If we came inta yer life, we wouldn't be as welcomed as another human would be,"

Kara thought about this and saw what he meant, but she knew that she wouldn't have immediately rejected them.

"I beg to differ," she said. He turned his head to look at her questioningly. "I'm not superficial. I don't judge on looks."

"And why's that?" Raph asked, wondering she was so different to every other human he'd seen.

Kara sighed and ran a hand through her hair, unsure of whether she wanted to say.

"I was judged by my appearance when I was younger and I was bullied because of it. I wasn't accepted because I was different. I know not judge on what's on the outside," she finally said.

Raph frowned at the new piece of information. He, like Leonardo, didn't expect Kara to be the type to put up with bullying. He figured the bullying made her the stronger person she was today.

"Every human I save screams and runs away in terror before I even get a chance to talk to 'em," he said, looking over at the rising sun.

A small smile graced her face. "I'm not 'every human.'" He glanced at her and smirked. That meant more to him than she'd ever know.

She returned his smirk and stood up, ready to head back to the lair. Before Raph could copy, she reached out a hand for him to take. He looked up at her, shocked at the gesture and she gave him a crooked smile. He smirked and took her hand as she heaved him off the ground and onto his feet.

_God, he's heavy, _she thought. _Must be the shell._

They both climbed down the ladder of the fire escape, Kara wincing every now and then when her leg was pressured. Raph would never admit it, but he was glad that he and Kara we on good terms now. He was glad that their feud was finally over.

* * *

**_Back at the lair…_**

"And you just let her go?!" Leonardo shrieked at April. He had been freaking out for the past half an hour.

She rolled her eyes and clearly looked bored. "For the billionth time, she'll be _fine! _The poor girl needs her space, Leonardo. You asked me to get her out of that damn room and I did. She won't just leave again. Not without Alex."

Leo ran a hand down his face. "I know she won't leave but the Foot could still kidnap her! She should've asked me before she left."

April raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you honestly believe she would bother to come and ask for your permission? Do you _really _think she would give a damn about what you said?"

Leonardo stuttered. "W-well… No… But she could've just let me know what she was doing! She is extremely vulnerable out there on her own and she could get hurt!"

"Ugh!" April threw her head back and stared at the ceiling, shaking her head. She tried to compose herself. Arguing wasn't going to persuade Leonardo any time soon.

"Look," she began. "One: It's dawn so the Foot won't be out. Two: She has a tracker on her phone. And three: She's not on her own. Raph is with her."

Leo's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. "Why?"

"He wanted to apologise to her," April said simply.

Leo looked gobsmacked. "No way. Raph never apologises."

April narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you calling me a liar?"

"N-No," he stuttered, not wanting to get on her bad side. "But… there isn't any proof."

April rolled her eyes. "Are you saying you don't have faith in your brother?"

Leo panicked. "No! I mean, yes! Ugh… It just seems unlikely."

April smirked. "Well, lucky for you, I have proof."

"_Really_?" He asked sceptically. April nodded and gestured behind him with her head. When he turned, he saw Raph leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, an amused look on his face. Kara was standing next to him, her hands on her hips and her face also displaying a look of amusement.

Leo turned back to April and grinned sheepishly.

Kara walked up to Leo and patted his shoulder. "You really need a hobby, Mother Hen." Raph chuckled and Leo's suspicion grew.

Leo watched as Raph and Kara exchanged glances, nodded to one another and departed, leaving him to gawk over them being in the same room and _not _ripping each other's throats out. He raised a questioning brow at April, who had a smug look on her face.

"Told you he apologised," she said, strutting proudly off to the kitchen to find Kara.

She arrived to see Kara sitting at the table, sipping a glass of water.

"So I see all went well then," she began.

Kara jumped slightly, startled at her sudden appearance. "Yeah, I guess."

"So you're both good?" April asked.

"Golden," Kara confirmed, placing her now empty glass at the sink.

"Well, now that you're on good terms, maybe he'll let you ride his bike," April pointed out with a grin.

Kara chuckled. "Maybe."

The two girls spent the rest of the day laughing and chatting in the living room. Mikey came back from skateboarding in the tunnels and practically exploded with joy to see Kara still out of the lab. He spent as much precious time with Kara as he could before she went back into "hibernation" as he had put it. Donnie also came and conversed with them all, also wanting to see Kara while he could.

April left at about 7pm, promising to visit again soon, probably with Casey. After Kara bid them farewell, she returned to the lab, preparing to settle down for the night.

It was dark in there, but it was a different kind of darkness. Previously Kara had felt depression within the darkness, despite her usual love for it. It was devoid of any light or hope. But tonight it was different. The darkness resumed its position of being her comforter. She expected it had something to do with April lifting her spirits and ending the feud between her and Raph.

She removed the blankets from the cot and went to lie down, but instead of meeting the plush material, she met something hard and uncomfortable. She stood up again and turned on the lamp beside her cot, inspecting the object. She smirked and shook her head at what she discovered.

A red little iPod with earphones to match.

_**Hope ya liked it! Remember to review please!**_


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_Everything was black._

_Devoid of any life._

_There was nothing._

_She was walking, trudging more like. The cloying blackness clung to her, tripping her several times. She called out but her only response was the empty sound of her own echo._

_Something changed in the already eerie atmosphere. A sudden gust of bitter wind engulfed her. It caressed her skin, stroked her hair. Violent shudders shot down her spine, viibriating her entire body. _

What's happening?_ She thought. _Where the hell am I?

_She clenched her eyes shut, willing the darkness away. This darkness was in no way comforting. It didn't conceal the things she wanted hide from. The darkness itself was what she wanted to hide from. She wanted to run. She wanted to cry._

No, _she thought sternly. _

_"I WILL NOT COWER!"_ _She screamed. "I AM NOT AFRAID!" _

_The same bellowing echo followed and the blackness responded to her shriek. It dripped down the walls like runny paint, revealing a new scene. She was back at home in England, the white cottage gleaming under the sun. It was surrounded by the forest, the towering trees casting shadows upon the quaint little home. Out in the garden, on the luscious green grass, stood her family. Her mother was kicking a ball about with Alex, giggling when he got all stroppy when he missed a goal. He father was chuckling at the sight, standing by the smoking barbeque._

_"Momma?" She asked incredulously. Her mother turned to her and beamed. _

_"Hello darling! You're just in time. Do you want to play?" Her mother asked cheerfully._

_"Pleeeaaassee Kara?" Alex added, his baby blue eyes pleading. _

_She couldn't get anything to come out of her mouth. She was stunned. They acted like nothing had happened._

_He father came over and put an arm around her mother, Alex standing in between them._

_"Kara! I love your new friends," her father exclaimed gesturing to the house. On the porch stood four green mutant turtles, accompanied by a mutant rat. They were all chuckling at something Mikey had said and they laughed harder when Raph commented. _

_They came to stand next to her family, all smiling and grinning at her. She longed to see this sight. Everyone she cared about gathered in a place she adored on a beautiful day. They all looked so… happy. Leonardo's usual stern, somewhat solemn face had vanished and was now replaced with a warm smile. Raphael was even smiling! Not his normal sarcastic grin or smirk. A genuine, real smile._

Okay, _she thought. _This is just too good to be true.

_As soon as those words crossed her mind, black and grey clouds flooded the sky, blocking the sun's golden rays. Her beloved home turned sinister. It no longer gleamed white. It faded into a miserable grey. Their faces transformed into emotionless statues, their eyes turning dark as they seemed to pin her with their stares._

_"How does it feel knowing that you destroyed our family?" He father asked._

_"W-what?" She stuttered._

_"What does it feel like? Putting everyone in danger for your selfish reasons?" Her mother continued._

_"I… I didn't…" She faltered. _

_"You ran away and put my life at risk. All because of a stupid argument," Alex said._

_"You're putting my sons in danger, Miss Evans. Soon they will be slaughtered and you will be the cause of their destruction," Master Splinter said._

_"Ya just had ta come in and ruin our lives. Ya couldn't have just left the city when ya had the chance. Yer a pain in the ass, y'know," Raph said._

_She was distraught. The only people she'd ever had the courage to trust, all making her feel unwanted. She felt like a burden. She felt… alone._

_They all started talking all at once, each one accusing her of something. They called her selfish, a brat, invasive, annoying, bitch. Their voices lowered into a menacing laugh and she became afraid again. The darkness returned and it dripped back down the walls. It seeped through the floor and had her trapped again._

_Red, ominous eyes appeared in front of her. They were framed by a cold, metal helmet, deadly spikes protruding from the armour._

_"You are weak," the darkness whispered. "You are afraid."_

_"NO!" She shouted._

_"You are a MURDERER!" The red eyes bellowed, possessing the same deep voice as the laugh. _

_Images flashed through her mind. The homeless woman and the homeless boy sprawled out on the dirt. Her parents engulfed in the fluorescent colors of the fatal flames. The ninja at the docks below her, her hands dripping with endless amounts of red. Her brother, drowning in a sea of his own blood. She screamed and fell to her knees, grabbing her hair. It was in her head. That _thing _was in her mind. _

_"You are the cause of it all. You will be the cause of their ruin." It said._

_She saw the turtles and Master Splinter lying lifeless on the lair floor, each in a puddle of nauseating red. Their empty eyes were all staring at her, all blaming her for their annihilation. Stab wounds covered their bodies, the metallic stench filling her nose… and when she looked down, she was the one holding the knife._

_She screamed again. _

_"No…no…" she mumbled as she shook her head in refutation._

_The dreaded laugh returned, increasing the fear within her. _

_The blackness crawled up her leg as she gave one last scream, kicking and punching, trying to make it go away. It travelled up her body and into her mouth, choking her, muffling her cries. _

_It swallowed her. She was swallowed by her own fear._

* * *

Michelangelo woke with a start. He had crashed out on the couch while he was attempting to have a video game marathon. He was trying to pull an all nighter, but failed miserably. He sat up and rubbed his head, groaning when his neck ached from the awkward position he was lying in.

He got up to use the bathroom but paused when he walked past the lab. He heard mumbling and… whimpering? He knocked lightly on the door to hear no reply. He frowned and opened the door, his eyes going wide at the sight before him. The blankets were thrown of the Kara's cot and she was thrashing and whimpering in her sleep. He hurried to her side and tried to wake her up.

"Kara? Kara, wake up! It's alright it's just a dream!" When he put his hand on her bear shoulder, he noticed that her entire body was coated in a thick layer of sweat. He ran out to Don's bedroom and burst through the door. Don immediately sat upright in his bed at the sudden noise and glared at Mikey.

"What?" He spat, but his expression softened at Mikey's wide, frightened eyes.

"It's Kara. She's having a nightmare or somethin'," Mikey said, panicking. Donnie was immediately on alert and they both shot out of the room. The commotion woke up Leonardo and Raphael – Leo looking attentive and concerned and Raph looking pissed.

They followed the sound of hurried footsteps to find Don and Mikey desperately tapping and shaking Kara, who looked like she was having a spaz attack.

"What's going on?" Leo demanded.

"What's happenin' ta her?!" Raph shouted.

"She's having a nightmare and we can't snap her out of it," Don said. Her thrashings suddenly increased and the whimpers got louder.

"Not…cower…afraid…" She mumbled between gasps, frowning in her sleep. The turtles all looked confused. She suddenly stopped moving and her expression became peaceful almost… content. The brothers all sighed in relief, hoping that that was the end of it. Much to their dismay, after a few minutes of waiting, her eyebrows rose and she stared squirming again.

"No…" she said louder, catching the attention of the turtles. She gasped and her whimpers got louder. They continued to increase in volume until she was screaming. The conscious occupants of the room all had horrified expressions, each one wanting to ease her pain.

"No… no…" she whispered, sweat pouring down her face.

She suddenly broke out into a series of kicks and punches, her arms and legs flailing uncontrollably. Mikey yelped when her fist came into contact with his jaw and he held his aching mouth. They all tried to hold her down to prevent her from hurting herself, but before they could pin her, one of her kicks had enough force to throw her off the cot.

She immediately bolted upright with a final, shrill scream. Her chest heaved as she inhaled deeply with sudden, painful gasps. Master Splinter hurried into the room upon hearing the noise and looked at her in concern when her eyes snapped open. Their eyes met but she wasn't looking at him. Her mind was somewhere else.

They all anxiously waited for her to do something in a tense silence. She just sat there, panting and wheezing with a distant look in her eye.

Michelangelo, of course, was the one to break the silence.

"Kara? Heeeellooooo?" He asked, waving a hand in front of her face, though she failed to respond. He bent down and looked into her eyes. The lively, keen sparkle that once occupied the piercing seas of blue was gone. They were empty, hollow. They looked…haunting.

"Woah…" he whispered, backing away from her and letting Don take a look. Master Splinter knelt by her side and Mikey moved behind her, gently rubbing her back. Raph and Leo were both standing off to the side, silently observing the scene with concern.

She still wasn't responding. It was like she was in a trance, like whatever she had seen possessed her mind.

"Kara?" Donnie asked softly, but received no reaction.

"Kara!" Leonardo said sternly.

His voice seemed to echo in her head, slowly banishing all of the images, gradually bringing her back to reality. Her gasping breaths became even and her tremors completely subsided. The normal alertness and sharpness of her eyes returned and she was suddenly aware of her surroundings. She looked around the room to find herself as the centre of attention. The tension in the air was thick enough to bite. She hated knowing that she had caused their distress. Maybe she was a burden after all. She decided to act like nothing had happened. She didn't need them worrying about her any more than they were.

"Uh… hi?" She said uncertainly after clearing her throat. Now that Master Splinter saw that she was somewhat stable, he rose from the floor and went to the kitchen to prepare some tea.

"Hi?" Raph repeated. "Ya go and have a fit in the middle of the night and all ya can say is 'hi?!'" She shot him a glare and heaved herself up from the floor, Mikey and Don doing the same. Her legs suddenly felt very weak and she felt her knees buckle but she allowed herself to collapse onto her cot. Mikey came and sat next to her and started rubbing her back again.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked.

She looked up at him slowly and cleared her throat. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I'm fine." Of course, no one believed her. "I'm sorry I woke all of you. I appreciate your concern but it isn't necessary. You can go now." She went to attempt to stand up but Mikey pushed down on her shoulders, keeping her on the cot.

Master Splinter returned with the herbal tea and handed it to her. She gratefully accepted it, nodding to him in gratitude. She held the mug in her hands, allowing the heat to seep into her skin. She took a sip and felt her strength return. As she sighed in content, Master Splinter took this opportune moment to inquire about her nightmare.

"What happened in your dream, Karianna?" Master Splinter asked softly. Her eyes snapped up to meet his. His sons' faces also displayed a look of surprise.

_Did he just call me Karianna? _She thought incredulously.

She allowed a small smirk to show, but only for a second. She looked down. She didn't want to say in front of everyone. She didn't want to say at all. Master Splinter realised this and took her hand, guiding her to his room. He knew when to push and when not to push, but this time he needed Kara to open up. If it had her screaming in the middle of the night then he needed to know.

As soon as the decorated door to Splinter's room slid close, the brothers rushed to it and pressed their ears up against it.

"Guys we shouldn't be doing this," Donatello whispered uncertainly. Leo nodded in agreement.

"Don's right. We should respect their privacy."

Raph rolled his eyes. "Come _on_ Fearless! We need ta know what's wrong with her."

"Yeah, dudes. Then we can help out," Mikey whispered.

"We're gonna get caught," Leo warned, earning a glare from Raph. Mikey shushed them all and listened intently to what was being said on the other side of the door.

Inside, Kara was sat opposite Splinter on a cushion, her tea placed next to her. He was lighting candles and incenses. The delightful smell entered Kara's nose and almost calmed her completely. The warm amber glow of the flickering candles comforted her, making her feel at ease. Master Splinter was looking at her expectantly, a clear question in his eyes. She sighed and prepared herself for reliving the nightmare.

"There w-was," she cursed herself mentally for stuttering. She cleared her throat and started again. "There was black everywhere… It felt like it was… mocking me. It didn't say anything at first but it just felt like it was taunting me… I told it that I wasn't afraid and it just…disappeared. I saw my home back in England and my family was there. They were all happy and they were laughing…" she smiled slightly at the memory, but shuddered at what she knew was to come. "You and your sons were all there too, having fun, laughing. But… then the sky turned dark and everyone changed… Everyone started saying things… You said I was putting your sons in danger and Raph said that I was a pain in the ass…"

Outside, Raph frowned. He thought that he'd made it clear that he was sorry. He supposed she still thought that he didn't want her around when, in fact, that was the complete opposite. She was good company.

She looked down, letting her hair fall in front of her face slightly. "Everyone started saying how I failed, calling me names, saying that I was… a _murderer_." She trembled when she said the word. She _hated _that word. She felt like it was a label that clung to her – a permanent reminder of her mistakes. Master Splinter thought about this before nodding for her to continue.

She swallowed. "The blackness returned and it started pulling at me, trapping me. There was laughing, but it was an _evil _laugh… The blackness told me that I was scared… that I was weak… There was a metal spiked helmet with red eyes in front of me…"

The turtles outside all gasped.

"Could it be…" Donnie whispered, trailing off.

Mikey gulped. "…The Shredder?"

Leo shook his head. "No. He hasn't been seen for years. For all we know, he could be dead," he said firmly, though he wasn't sure if he believed it himself.

"It called me a murderer and I saw everyone who I'd killed… The little boy, my parents, everyone… It said I will be the cause of destruction and I saw your family… You were all dead…" She paused and she wrapped her arms around herself. "…And I was the one who killed you."

She refused to look at Master Splinter, who was thinking about what she had said. He reached for her tea and placed it in her hands, encouraging her to drink it.

"Karianna," Master Splinter began. She couldn't help but smile slightly at him using her first name, even if it wasn't 'Kara' like she preferred. "Do you have any idea what your dream meant?" Of course, he already knew.

Kara paused and thought about it. "The darkness… is my fear. It came when I was afraid and left when I was content."

Master Splinter nodded in agreement. "Do you know who or what the red eyes were?" Kara shook her head.

"Do you?" She inquired. Master Splinter hesitated and Kara noticed. "I'll take that as a yes then."

"In the letter your parents wrote, a man was mentioned. A very dangerous man," he said.

"Oroku Saki or the Shredder," Kara confirmed, realisation dawning on her.

"Correct."

"But... why would I dream about Saki when I haven't even seen him before?" She wondered out loud.

Master Splinter smiled. "Sometimes dreams can be used for guidance, a window which allows us to look into the future."

Kara frowned. "Like visions?" He nodded. "So I'm some kind of… psychic?"

"In a way. Everyone has intuition. It's a natural instinct. Animals have more advanced intuition, since their lives depend on it and it's constantly in use. Some humans have stronger intuition than others, you being one of the few with higher capabilities. My sons and I have stronger intuition because of our animal DNA. The visions can be controlled through meditation. I suggest you learn how to meditate then we can enhance your abilities and use them to our advantage."

Kara nodded, considering it. She'd ask Leonardo to teach her. Her eyes suddenly widened as a thought struck her.

"So if my… 'visions' are true, does that mean that… you'll all be killed?"

Master Splinter shook his head, much to her relief. "No. Dreams and visions are never entirely accurate. They merely give us an idea of the possibilities of the future. The fear of your loved ones dying influenced your dream, therefore creating the worse possible outcome."

"But overall my dream suggested danger?" Kara said.

Splinter sighed. "If the Shredder is involved with your parents' disappearance, it's, unfortunately, almost certain that danger is also involved."

Kara nodded slowly. She needed time to think. She got up from her cushion and thanked Splinter for his guidance. Before she reached the door he stopped her.

"Yes?" She asked.

"In your dream, when your family and mine were calling you names and when the Shredder called you a murderer, did you believe it?" He asked.

She looked away from him and he caught a brief pained expression on her face, which disappeared before he could blink.

"Yes…" she said quietly.

He smiled sadly. "You may go now." He would help her overcome her fear of causing harm some other time. Right now she needed to be alone with her thoughts.

She thanked him again and opened the door to leave only to trip over someone's leg. Her back slammed down on the floor and she groaned. She opened her eyes to see two turtles grinning sheepishly and the other two looking extremely guilty. She glared at them all, knowing that they had overheard everything. She scoffed in indignation before getting up from the floor and marching to the lab, slamming the door behind her.

They all winced and immediately felt a tidal wave of guilt crash in to them, suck them up into a whirlpool of regret and spit them back out again. They all returned to their rooms and hit the sack. Mikey went to sleep thinking about how he was going to make it up to her.

Kara sat on her cot with thoughts of her own, but ones which involved the turtles and… revenge. They _knew _she was a privacy freak and they _knew _that she didn't want them to know about her nightmare.

She waited half an hour to ensure that they were all asleep and crept out of the lab to the fridge in the kitchen, a devious grin plastered on her face…

* * *

The next morning, she woke to the same monotonous beep of the machine which was monitoring Alex's heart. At first she had despised the tedious noise, but she had grown to like it, finding comfort in the artificial sound of Alex's still beating heart. If she listened carefully, she could hear it from wherever she was in the lair so wherever she was it let her know that Alex was still alive. If there was a sudden change in the usual steady rhythm of the beeping then all occupants of the household would immediately be at Alex's side. That had happened a couple of times but, with the help of Kara who had been gaining medical information from the many books in the lab, Donatello had used his undeniably incredible knowledge to return Alex to normal. The dreaded, long drone of the monitor which would signify Alex's passing hadn't occurred so her hope was not lost yet.

She didn't know why but she was in a particularly good mood. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 6am. The turtles would be up in preparation for their morning training so she didn't have to worry about waking anyone up. She sat up and moved the blankets off of her, about to get up when Michelangelo burst through the door, carrying a tray. She blinked.

"Mornin' Kar! Just thought I would bring you breakfast in bed!" He exclaimed enthusiastically. Kara raised a suspicious eyebrow at him.

"Why?" She said emotionlessly with a deadpanned face.

He placed the tray on her lap and put a hand behind his head nervously.

"Uh… I wanted to apologise for eavesdroppin' on your conversation with Master Splinter…" he said anxiously, gesturing to the plate of pancakes.

She looked down and raised her eyebrows at what she saw. There was a glass of orange juice, some strawberries and a huge stack of pancakes drenched in syrup. On the top, spelled out in chocolate chips, was 'I'm sorry!' with two kisses and a smiley face. She looked up at him to see that he was grinning like an idiot and she realised that he was waiting for her to try it.

She shook her head and muttered something about 'boys' before taking a bite of a pancake, sighing in delight as the syrup seeped through and into her mouth. She _loved _when pancakes were soaked in syrup. Some people felt sick at the sight of her drowning her breakfast in the delicious sticky liquid, but she adored it.

Mikey beamed when she sighed in content and closed her eyes. He did a little 'happy dance' which made her roll her eyes.

"How did you know I like a lot of syrup?" She asked.

"Who doesn't?" Mikey laughed.

When she was finished, he removed her tray from her lap and took it out to the kitchen. She heard Master Splinter beckon them to the dojo to begin their training. She remembered Alex saying that they were amazing when they practiced and that she should watch them some time.

She changed into a black T-shirt and camouflage army pants before making her way to the dojo. She leaned against the doorframe and observed as Splinter ordered them to do certain moves. She remained unnoticed until they were paired up to spar: Michelangelo with Leonardo and Raphael with Donatello.

Mikey spotted her when he turned to face Leonardo and he immediately brightened, grinning at her like a child on Christmas. The other turtles and Master Splinter turned to see what he was looking at. Splinter nodded to her and Don, Leo and Raph immediately turned away, still guilty about the previous day. She found it incredibly amusing. She responded with a short, two-fingered salute, remaining silent and not wanting to interrupt.

"Begin," Master Splinter ordered and they all burst into a series of attacks and blocks.

As she watched, she could see that their personalities all showed in their fighting techniques. Leo and Don were calm and collected, blocking their opponents and waiting for the opportune moment to strike. You could practically hear the gears in Don's head turning, calculating and predicting Raph's next move and how he would deflect it. Leo's attacks were strong and accurate but you could tell he wasn't doing his best. He was waiting for the right moment to strike. Raph's attacks were aggressive and almost boisterous. He was slower than his brothers but his attacks were still effective. Mikey was having an amazing time jumping, flipping and even skipping to avoid Leonardo's attacks. He was incredibly fast and energetic. It was an amazing sight to see.

"Aw, c'mon Leo! That all ya got?! I could do this all day," Mikey boasted, crossing his arms and back flipping out of the way of Leo's punch. He pretended to yawn and winked at Kara, making her roll her eyes.

"Quit showin' of, Mikey," Raph said before he did an unnecessary back flip to dodge a simple attack from Donatello. He was obviously as much of a show off as Michelangelo.

"Show off," she mumbled, shaking her head but secretly amused.

While Mikey was distracted, his defences were down and Leo thrust his fist into his jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. Mikey groaned as Leo put a foot on his chest.

"No, Mikey. _That's _what I've got," Leo said smugly before helping him up.

When Kara looked back over at the other fighting pair, she saw Raph pinning a helpless Donatello. Raph had Don's arm twisted behind his back.

"Say uncle!" He demanded, an evil grin on his face.

"UNCLE!" Don shouted and Raph finally released him. "Geez…"

They continued to spar and practice and Kara saw that Alex was right. It was awesome. They were so graceful yet so powerful: a deadly combination.

When they were dismissed, they were all exhausted, a waterfall of sweat drenching their foreheads. Just watching made Kara feel tired so she decided to use the leftover pancakes to make them breakfast while they took turns in the shower.

When she opened the fridge, she saw that they were low on food so she went into the lab and unlocked a metal drawer which contained the money her parents gave her. There was only one hundred dollars left and they clearly needed more money. She pulled out her phone and dialled a number.

"Hello?" A female voice asked.

"Hey, April. It's me. I was just wondering-" Kara said but she was cut off by a loud crash on the other end.

"Casey Arnold Jones! If I come in there and see my lamp broken AGAIN_, _you will be sleeping on the FIRE ESCAPE!"

Kara snickered. "His middle name's 'Arnold?'

She heard April sigh. "Weird, isn't it? Anyway, what do you need?"

"You see, I-" She stopped when she heard the turtles' doors shut as they entered their rooms. She smirked.

"Y'know April, I think you'll wanna hear this." She held the phone out for April to listen and as if on cue…

"AHH!"

Kara grinned.

"What was _that_?!" April exclaimed.

"Payback for eavesdropping. You should try this on Casey," Kara said. She could hear the turtles all storm into Michelangelo's room and blame him for her doings.

"It wasn't ME!" Mikey screeched. She heard them all rush to the bathroom and another yell was heard. They came running into the kitchen, stumbling and staggering as they went.

"What's this?!" Raph demanded, gesturing to himself.

She looked them up and down. "Excuse me a moment, April," she said into the phone before turning to them. She walked up to him and sniffed him.

"Cream cheese," she said simply. Their faces were priceless. The result of simply replacing their deodorant with cream cheese and putting syrup in the soap dispensers was truly worthwhile.

"Just be grateful that I was nice enough not to put grape kool aid in the shower head." She sighed dramatically. "Oh, what I would give to see purple turtles."

Leo sighed. "Come on guys. We deserve it."

Despite the others' reactions, Mikey had a grin spread across his face.

"Dudette, that was awesome! I didn't know you were a prankster!"

"Are you kidding me? On my last day of high school I put a sign on the copier saying 'this is now voice-activated.' You wouldn't believe the amount of teachers yelling at the poor machine. Simple but effective." She sighed. "Look, go clean yourselves up and then you can have some pancakes, okay?" Three nodded and one grumbled in response.

"Anyway, April, I wanted to ask if you knew of any available jobs? We're low on cash."

"You could always come and work with me at the shop," she suggested.

"Thanks," Kara said. "But I don't want to take any money from you, even if I'm working for it."

"Well, there's a restaurant just down the street from me who's looking for people."

"What for?" She asked.

"Waitresses and waiters, I think."

"That sounds good. Do I need to be interviewed or anything?"

"Yeah but it's nothing to be concerned about. I think they'll just ask you to fill out an application. As long as you don't have a criminal record, you're good to go. A little experience would help. Do you have any?" April asked.

"My summer job last year was a waitress at a local coffee shop. The pay was good."

"Great! Why don't you come over today and we can sort it out?" April said enthusiastically.

"Sure. See you at twelve-ish?"

"Great! I'll organise the interview now. See you then!"

"Bye," Kara said, chuckling at her enthusiasm.

The boys all came back into the kitchen and sat down at the table, a less bummed out expression on their faces when they started to dig in to the pancakes.

"Who was that?" Leo asked.

"April. I'm going to her place at twelve," Kara said.

"Why's that?" Raph asked through a mouthful of pancake and syrup.

"Why do you care?" She countered, making him shrug. She didn't need them knowing where she was and why all the time. Besides, she didn't want them knowing about the job yet. They'd probably get all hysterical about how 'dangerous' it was.

"When will you be back?" Leo asked.

"It'll only be a couple of hours. No biggie," she said, shrugging.

"Why _are _you going?" He asked, catching on to the fact that she didn't want to answer Raph's question.

"Does it matter?" She said.

"It does when you seem so keen to not tell me," he said, rising from his chair and crossing his arms.

"I'm gonna meet up with a bunch of gangsters to discuss plans to raid a bank," she said sarcastically. He raised his eyebrow.

"Will you be going anywhere apart from April's place?" He asked.

"A restaurant," she said simply. "Geez man, what's with the twenty questions?"

"I just want to make sure you're safe," he said, stepping forward.

"And I appreciate that but I don't need to be babysat," she said firmly. "I'll have my phone, April's gonna be with me and it's light outside."

He sighed in defeat. "Fine, but be careful," he said, sitting back down at the table and resumed munching on his breakfast. His brothers glanced at each other, amazed that he had given in. They supposed that Leonardo feared another sticky attack involving syrup and cream cheese.

**_Hope you enjoyed it! Review please!_**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**_Yay! Tenth chappy! Double digits baby! Hehe… ENJOY _**

It was three hours later when Kara had to leave. She informed Leonardo that she was leaving to satisfy him and waved to Mikey who was lounging on the couch.

"Bring back pizza!" He yelled.

"Yeah, yeah…" she grumbled, rolling her eyes and continuing down the winding sewer tunnels.

She was strolling down the corridor of their building when a horribly familiar scent entered her nose.

_Smoke! _

She ran to April's apartment door and frantically knocked on it, fearing the worst. When she heard no reply apart from spluttering coughs and hacking, she turned the door knob to find it unlocked. She burst through the door and looked around for any sign of them.

"Help!" She heard Casey shout. She darted to the kitchen only to have her eyes nearly fall out of her head.

Through the thickness of the smoke, she saw Casey blasting a fire extinguisher at what looked like an incredibly black and burnt turkey. He was wearing April's blue apron with daisies dotted on it, along with her matching oven gloves.

"Oh…" He laughed nervously. "Hey Kara…"

She studied him with an eyebrow raised and leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed.

"Uh… April needed ta get some groceries so she told me ta tell ya that she'd meet ya at the restaurant and she said that she put some clothes on the bed for ya… Yer probably wonderin' what I'm doin,' huh?

She shook her head. "Nah. I think I'm better off not knowing."

She turned to leave but Casey stopped her.

"Hey Kara?" She looked at him expectantly. "Could we keep this between us?"

She nodded. "I think it's for the best."

He sighed in relief, making Kara chuckle.

She proceeded towards the bedroom but paused when she was half way.

"By the way, Casey," she called. "I'd remove the apron before I reconsider your sexuality."

She heard him drop the fire extinguisher and rush take it off, making her snicker.

She went into the bedroom to see some formal looking clothes laid out on the bed.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me…"

She saw a note on top that said:

_Hey Kara! _

_We need to make a good first impression, don't we? I know you probably hate them but just trust me! I was nice enough to replace the skirt I picked out with pants. Don't immediately ditch the heels. They'll look great. The directions are on the back of this note. See you there!_

_April._

Kara looked down to see a shiny pair of incredibly high black heels.

"April's gotta be delirious if she thinks I'm going anywhere near those demon shoes."

After she changed, she looked at herself in the mirror in the bedroom. She was wearing a black fitted suit jacket with matching pants and a white button up shirt underneath. She had to admit she looked good, but this was the complete opposite to what she usually wore and it certainly wasn't in her comfort zone. She put her ordinary clothes in a bag and put her combat boots back on, which sort of ruined the whole 'formal' look, and glared at the abandoned heels before leaving the room.

She returned to the kitchen to find Casey poking the turkey with a fork. The leg crumbled and collapsed into a pile of ash. She shook her head in amazement.

_How has he survived this long? _She thought amusedly.

"I'm leaving," she announced.

"Good luck with the- woah…" he said, trailing off.

She pointed at him. "Not one word."

* * *

The directions on April's note led her to a building with flashing neon lights saying "Jen's Joint." She peered through the large windows to see a very fancy looking restaurant. The wooden floor was dark and polished. There was a bar which was separated from the rest of the tables. The leather chairs were black as well as the tall stools at the bar. The waitresses and waiters that she saw were wearing pretty much what she was wearing. She saw April sitting on one of the stools at the bar, legs crossed, sipping a glass of cider.

Kara entered and April immediately leapt up from her seat.

"You look gorgeous!" April exclaimed, but frowned when she saw her still wearing her combat boots. She rolled her eyes and reached under her stool to reveal a bag. She pulled out _another _pair of black heels.

"How did you…" Kara gawked.

"How did I know that you would ignore my letter and immediately ditch the heels? Because when we went shopping when we first met, whenever you saw heels you'd make gagging noises and avoid them," April explained smugly. Kara rolled her eyes.

"I'm not wearing them," she stated simply.

"Just for the interview. I promise," April prompted.

Kara grumbled and replaced her boots with the heels. She slowly stood up straight and clung onto April.

"What are you doing?" April asked.

"Trying not to fall," Kara replied, wobbling when she let go. She gradually took a step, then another and another until she stumbled and immediately crashed down onto the floor. She groaned and sat up as April went to assist her.

Kara sighed. "This is gonna be a long day."

* * *

The interview was a success and Kara was to start working on Monday next week. She didn't need any training since she already had the experience. The owner, Jen, had assured Kara that she didn't have to wear heels to work. April, however, was making Kara wear them all the way back to the lair. She wanted to share the rare sight of Kara looking smart. Kara had attempted to flee from April's grasp many times, but she only ended up with her face down on the floor.

"Hey guys! Check it out!" April called when they had arrived. The turtles all gathered in the living room and their jaws dropped to the floor. Mikey wolf whistled, making Kara cross her arms in annoyance.

"Damn…" Raph whispered. Leo and Don nodded their heads in agreement.

"I feel like a doll," she grumbled. "Can I take these off now?" She complained, gesturing to her feet.

April sighed. "Fine."

Kara dropped to the floor and threw them off, sighing in content as she massaged her feet. Leo crossed his arms suspiciously.

"I thought you were going to a restaurant," he said.

"It was a formal restaurant and April wanted me to look nice," Kara said. It wasn't a _complete_ lie.

April sensed the tension and decided that that was her cue to leave.

"Welp, I'm gonna go now. You can keep the clothes and the heel-"

"Bye, April," Kara interrupted before she could finish. April snickered and took the demon shoes with her.

Kara began making her way to the lab to change into her normal clothes. She reached the door when she heard a quiet _click. _Her eyes widened and she whipped round to see Michelangelo holding a camera.

"MICHELANGELO!" She bellowed as he half ran, half skipped to avoid her wrath. She sighed and shook her head, returning to the safety of the lab.

* * *

Kara fiddled with the golden band on her wrist. She hadn't taken it off. It was all she had left of her parents and she intended to hold onto it like her life depended on it. She felt like it did. Whenever she looked over at her brother's limp form, when she would get that overwhelming feeling of defeat and failure, she would look down at her mother's bracelet. It was as if it was constant supply of hope; keeping her going, restoring her faith. That simple gold band felt like the only connection she had left with her parents, and feeling it on her wrist felt as if her mother was there with her, holding her hand through the tough times.

She took it off and began twisting it around with her fingers. As the dim light from the monitors reflected off of it, she noticed a letter on the inside of the bracelet.

_That's new…_ she thought, furrowing her brow.

She turned on the lamp next to her and looked closer. She gasped at what was engraved .

_Let fire's light guide you._

That phrase was also in the letter. She knew that parts of the letter seemed odd and she intended to look into it until Alex got hurt. One place was in mind when she read that phrase: the apartment. But she was confused.

_Momma had this bracelet for years. How did she know there was going to be a fire?_

She made it a priority that she would inspect the apartment the next day after work… or what was left of the apartment.

She lay down on the cot and pulled the blankets around herself, sighing in content as the comforting warmth made itself known. She let her eyes close and her vision was clouded with darkness, encouraging her to fall into a bliss, deep sleep. She sighed deeply and let sleep take over her body, relaxing every muscle, calming every nerve.

But of course, this rare moment of relaxation was brutally interrupted by a loud groaning noise. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, whipping round to face the one who disturbed her sleep and give them one hell of a lecture.

She was met with a sight which made her eyes water. A sight she'd been longing to see for a very long time. One that made her heart rejoice with glee.

She rushed over to him and enveloped him in a bone crushing hug, not caring for the many wires attached to him. He let out a squeak but soon relaxed into it, even though he couldn't breathe. She let a tear slip and she was grateful no one was around to see it.

"Kara," Alex said painfully. When she didn't let go he tapped her on the shoulder. "Kara! Let… me… go!" He said between gasps.

After one last squeeze she released him and ran out of the room.

"Huh?" Alex said, confused at what the hell she was doing.

"Don!" She shouted banging on his door. "Mikey!" Before she could call the other two and before she could even blink, they were all surrounding her with their backs facing her, weapons drawn in a defensive stance.

"What's wrong?" Leo demanded.

She rolled her eyes and pushed aside Leo and Raph.

"Nothing! Come on!" She said enthusiastically, sprinting back to the lab. The brothers all shrugged and followed her.

"Alex!" Mikey exclaimed, rushing over to join Kara and Alex in a group hug. Leo walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome back, little man," he said. Alex grinned in response.

"How ya doin' kiddo?" Raph said, a smirk on his face.

"Good," Alex replied, smiling brightly. Raph chuckled.

"Are you okay? How are you feeling? Do you feel any pain? What's the last thing you remember?" Kara asked hurriedly.

"Uh… Yes, fine, kinda on my stomach and… you running towards me," he answered, trying to keep up with her questions.

"Do you want some antibiotics?" Don asked.

"Nah, I'm good. It's just a little achy when I sit up," Alex said.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Kara repeated, wanting more detail.

Alex took a deep breath. "You were being held by the ninjas and one was talking to you but I couldn't hear what he was saying. Next thing I knew he was looking at me and he threw a ninja star. I saw you running towards me before there was this _huge _pain on my stomach," he subconsciously put a hand to said area. "I felt you crash into me and I was suddenly _really _cold and then… nothing." He shrugged. "Can you get these things off of me?" He gestured to the wires attaching him to the machines.

Donnie nodded and did as he was asked. Alex cringed when Don slowly pulled out the needle which was connected to the IV machine.

"Um…" Alex said shyly. "Could I have something to eat? I'm starved."

Kara chuckled as Mikey flew out of the room and returned five seconds later with a cheese sandwich. Alex took it eagerly and was about to take a bite but Don stopped him, making him pout.

"Just a little bit at a time," Don said. "Your body needs to get used to eating solid food."

"How long was I out?" Alex asked, taking a bite.

"Two weeks," Donnie said. Alex choked on his sandwich and gasped for breath.

"Two weeks?!" He exclaimed. Everyone nodded. "Geez, how did you survive without me for so long?" He said with a grin.

"Barely," Kara mumbled, though it was still audible.

"Yeah, she didn't leave your side once! We had to call Apr[}+il to get her to drag her out of the room…literally," Mikey said.

"Really?" Alex asked, looking at his sister.

She smirked. "What else did you expect me to do?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Knowing you? Nothing."

* * *

Master Splinter sat in a lotus position in his room, the gentle glow of the scented candles creating an aura of calm. As he was meditating, he suddenly felt a wave of tranquillity and it washed away the heavy load of tension that he'd been carrying for the past two weeks. He smiled, knowing that, for now at least, everything felt right in the Hamato household. Everything felt normal now that everyone was reassured of the littlest occupant's well being. Everything felt… good.

* * *

It was two hours later and the Evans' were still wide awake. They had moved out of the lab, much to Don's pleasure, and they were both snuggled up in the warm double bed in their room. Mikey had to carry him there because he was still unable to walk. Any pressure put on his stomach was extremely painful and he was too weak to walk anyway.

Alex had asked Kara to tell him _exactly _what had happened at the docks and Kara willingly did so. She didn't want him to feel left out. Besides, he was at the centre of it all anyway.

She had then begun explaining the other events that Alex had missed. There weren't many, of course. No one really did anything in fear of leaving him unattended. She had informed him of her nightmare and she was currently telling him about her new job.

"But we can't tell anyone about it, okay? April's the only one who knows so we need to keep it a secret. If they find out they'll probably freak out 'cuz it's too 'dangerous.'" Alex nodded.

"So when do you start?" he asked.

"Next Monday. Don't worry you should be almost fully recovered by then. If not I'll call in sick."

"I think you need to be there on your first day of work. You need to make a good impression so if you don't even show up on the first day how can you expect them to not fire you," he said, smirking.

Kara chuckled. "Why do you always ruin everything with common sense?"

"Hey, one of us needs to! If you don't have any common sense then I have to," Alex said.

Kara gasped dramatically. "I do have common sense," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Said the girl who dived into the sea at night during a raging storm."

Kara rolled her eyes and smirked. "What else did you expect me to do?"

"Knowing you? Nothing," he said answered like he had earlier on.

Kara sighed and played with his hair. "I thought I lost you, y'know. When I saw that shuriken hit you and when Raph was holding you…" She shuddered. "Makes me shiver just thinking about it."

He chuckled. "Pfft. A little ninja star can't stop me. You of all people should know that." He turned serious. "Seriously though, I was pretty scared when they were grabbing you. I wanted to do something! I just… couldn't."

"They were ninjas, Alex. They were simple-minded dunces but there still would've been three grown men against you."

"Three?" Alex asked. "I thought there were four?" He tensed as realization dawned on him. "The first one, when you went all maniac on him, you didn't… did you?"

Kara also stiffened. "I think I did."

They were both silent for what seemed like an eternity, but Kara broke the silence when she asked him a question that had been bothering her for a while.

"When I did go all… 'maniac' on him, were you… scared of me?"

"No," Alex said after a long pause. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little freaked out but I wasn't afraid of you. I know you'll never hurt me. I don't think I'll ever be afraid of you."

"But you do know that you're sleeping in the same bed as a murderer right? How could you not be a little nervous?"

Alex sat up to look at her. "You're not a murderer. How could you even think that?"

"Well… I murdered someone… I thought that made it pretty obvious."

"No, you killed him. There's a difference." When he received a puzzled look, he decided to explain. "Murdering is intentional. Killing is causing a death. You didn't mean to kill him did you?"

"…No…"

"Exactly. I know you. You'd never dream of killing someone. Brutally harming when necessary yes, but never killing. It was an accident so let's just leave it at that. Oh and the day that I'm afraid of you is the day Donnie can't spell deoxyribonucleic acid."

Kara looked at him incredulously. "Where did you learn that word?"

Alex sighed. "Don was giving me and Mikey this big speech about DNA when I'd asked a simple question about how they were created. Mikey abandoned me after half an hour… I got bored so I asked him to spell it so I could sneak out."

She chuckled. "Who knew an eleven year old kid could pronounce a word like that?"

"Correction! An almost twelve year old kid."

Kara gasped. "That's right! It's next week! Ugh, how could I forget?"

"I think that almost dying is a good enough excuse to forget my birthday," Alex laughed.

"Well, don't worry. You're gonna have the best birthday ever. I'll make sure of it. You could consider it a welcome back party too."

"Welcome back? I never went anywhere, Kara."

She sighed a shuddering sigh. "I know. But you almost went. I almost lost you. Next time we're ever in a situation like that, I want you to promise me something, okay? Promise me that you'll run. Run as fast and as far away as you can before they get you." She paused as she realised what she had said. The last time she saw her parents, they had told her to do exactly the same thing. "Call the guys and they'll come and get you, then they'll come and get me. Promise?"

Alex shook his head. "No. You know that I could never do that. You wouldn't do it if you were me."

He had a point. She no longer regretted her actions, but she knew that if she hadn't have in a state of utter shock she would've refused to leave her parents' side. She knew Alex would do the same for her.

Despite this, she frowned and said, "you need to stay safe, Alex. If that means leaving me then you need to run."

"As long as I'm with you, I _am _safe. As long as you're with me, _you're _safe. As soon as we're on our own, they can easily get us. But how about this: I promise that I'll never leave you and you promise that you'll never leave me. Deal?"

She smirked. "Deal."

He grinned with satisfaction before laying back down next to her.

"Can you believe this is our lives now? Running from a bunch of psychos in ninja suits," he said as he looked up at the dark ceiling.

"Well Alex, we always wished for adventure. Rescuing the innocent from villains, bringing justice to people who deserve it. It's strange. Momma and Papa were doing what we wished for all this time."

"I wish they were here," he said.

"Me too," Kara sighed. "We'll get them back. They must've known this was going to happen. They've left us clues. We just need to join up the dots to figure this mess out."

"Well, you always were good at puzzles," Alex chuckled.

She frowned. "I usually did puzzles with Momma… we're on our own this time."

_**Hope you enjoyed it! Review please! **_


	12. Chapter 11

_**Here's another chapter! Sorry it's so late! A lot has happened since the last update. The two main things that happened was: I climbed a mountain (which was unbelievably exhausting) and we got three new baby kittens! AAHHH! They're so adorable! Anyway, the next chapter is nearly finished so it'll be posted very soon :-P ENJOY!**_

**Chapter 11**

During the next few days, Don had fed Alex the perfect amount of food to restore his health. Though he was still wobbling slightly, he was able to walk, much to his relief. He despised having to be carried around everywhere as it made him feel helpless and needy. Donnie removed his stitches and it was clear that there was going to be a scar. Alex didn't mind though. He liked the thought of showing it off to prove that he'd been on an adventure.

So, after the long, struggling week of giving endless piggy back rides, the day had finally come. Today was the day of the investigation of the apartment. Leonardo agreed that it would be a wise idea to search for clues, but he wasn't so eager to let Kara come along. However, after a painfully long discussion, he finally accepted the fact that she was going to come.

What he didn't know was that it was also Kara's first day of work. She was going to inform the others of her new job at the last minute so they wouldn't have time to stop her. Her shift began at seven and ended at four in the afternoon.

It was currently six o'clock and Alex had asked Kara to wake him up so he could watch the guys train and say goodbye to her before she left. She was trying to come up with a way to break the news to Leonardo. She soon decided that she would simply come out with it to prevent a misunderstanding. She didn't want him to think that she was lying or manipulating him in any way.

She exited her room, still dressed in pyjamas, and proceeded to search for the eldest turtle. As she expected, he was in the dojo warming up for their training session. He was performing a kata, the next move harder and more powerful than the last. She could tell that he knew he had an audience, for he briefly averted his eyes towards the sliding doors. She waited for him to complete his warm up, not wanting to interrupt his graceful flow.

When he finished, he grabbed a towel from the bench and wiped away the sweat that had formed on his forehead. He flung it over his shoulder and walked towards Kara, giving her a questioning look. She gestured for him to follow her and he complied.

When they were in the living room, she turned to him and said, "I assume that you've noticed that we're low on cash."

He nodded. "Yeah, but don't worry. Mikey used to be a party entertainer and Don had a phone line to help people with their computers. I'm sure they won't mind working again… Well, Don might but he'll get over it." Leo said with a shrug.

"No need," Kara said. "I got a job at a restaurant the other day. I'm starting in an hour."

Leo was immediately snapped into leader mode. "You what? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked," she said, earning a glare. Kara sighed, knowing that this was coming. "We needmoney. I can get money."

"Don't you realise how dangerous this is?! You're life is on the line when you step out of the sewers, let alone spending hours in a public restaurant!"

"Leo, I can't believe the amount of doubt you have in me! I'm not thick! I'm not just gonna walk out of here with a bloody target on my back!"

"You know that I don't doubt your intelligence. Not for a minute. I'm just not underestimating the Foot's determination. When you're out there on your own, you can't be protected," Leo said, calming down.

Her temper flared. "I'm not a helpless little girl! I can take care of myself. I don't need you to be my body guard!"

She looked to her side to see that their yelling had caught the attention of everyone apart from Master Splinter, who was still in his room. The three turtles looked curious, whereas Alex looked concerned.

She took a deep breath to calm herself and turned back to Leonardo. "I'm not going to go out and risk my life, Leo. The restaurant is just down the street from April and Casey's place and there's a manhole in the alley right next to it. I've thought this through," she said calmly.

Leo still looked uncertain and she huffed. "Besides, I didn't come to ask for your permission. I came to inform you about where I'm going to be for the next few hours. I'm going whether you like it or not so you might as well get used to it." She crossed her arms stubbornly and didn't back down from his stare.

It was a painfully long moment of silence before Leo sighed. "Fine."

"What?!" Raph suddenly exploded. Everyone turned to look at him peculiarly.

"What?" Leo asked.

"Yer just gonna let her walk out of here by herself?" Raph said in amazement, obviously not liking the idea.

"Well Raph, you're more than welcome to try and stop her," Leo said, stepping out from in between the two. Kara turned so she was facing him completely with an eyebrow raised, daring him to try.

"But… I…" Raph stood there for a moment with his mouth hopelessly opening and shutting, resembling a stunned goldfish.

He soon recovered and walked up to her, crossing his arms with his head held high, emphasising the height difference. Kara, of course, looked in no way intimidated.

"Ya can't go out on yer own," he said sternly, glaring at her. She just looked up at him with an impassive face, her stare never faltering. They stayed in that position for about five minutes, seeing if the other would back down. Neither did, of course. They were both as stubborn as each other.

Kara pursed her lips before speaking. "If you think that you hold any authority over me then you're mistaken. I've somehow managed to get Leo to accept it so why can't you?"

"'Cuz I ain't Leo," he said, intensifying his glare.

"You can't tell me what to do," she said.

"I can when yer livin' under my roof."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'll be earning the money to keep you from starving. Surely that gives me some jurisdiction."

"To earn money ya gotta go outside. Ya can't do that."

"So you want to keep me cooped up? I would've expected you of all people to oppose such an idea," she said. He hesitated and she mentally congratulated herself.

"Ya can't go out on your own when ya can't even defend yerself," he said decisively.

"Teach me, then."

Everyone looked at her.

"What?" He asked.

"Teach me how to fight. We all know that this whole situation is gonna end in a battle. We're gonna need to fight our way in to save my parents and we're gonna have to fight our way out. We've already had a couple of close calls with the Foot so what's the harm in teaching us how to fight?"

"Us?" Leo asked.

"Me and Alex. He needs to defend himself too."

After a long moment of consideration, Leo finally spoke up.

"I'll discuss the matter with Master Splinter. We should have an answer by the time you get back from work," he said.

"Great," she said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get changed." She walked to her room and shut the door, not looking forward to changing into the suit.

"I still don't like this," Raph grumbled with a frown.

"For once, I gotta agree with Raph," Donnie said, making said turtle glare at him. Mikey nodded in agreement.

"I'm obviously not gonna let her go alone," Leo said as if it was completely palpable. "Raph, you're gonna go with her."

"Why me?" said turtle demanded.

"You seem to resent her leaving here unprotected just as much as the rest of us. Why not you?"

"Why can't you go?" Raph said, growing irritated.

"I need to talk to Master Splinter," Leo said simply. Raph huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms.

Kara exited her room at that moment wearing her suit, the heels replaced with smart black ankle boots. Her fiery hair was uncommonly pulled back to reveal her pale face. Usually she didn't bother to do anything with her hair, so it ended up flopping in her face. She found it quite convenient as it hid her injuries well, but her face no longer bore any wounds. She was finally fully healed and back to her normal self.

She paused when she noticed the sudden tension between the two oldest brothers. Raph was glaring whereas Leo simply stared at his hot headed brother with an impassive expression.

"What's going on?" Kara asked, catching the attention of the occupants of the room. Strangely, no one said anything. They all just looked at her and it seemed as if they were studying her.

"What?" She snapped. Mikey and Alex broke out into a grin.

"Nothing," Leo said. "It's just that we've never seen your face before." Now Kara was really confused.

"Huh?"

"We've never seen you without injuries or without your hair covering your face. It's a nice change," Donatello explained with a smile.

"Oh," Kara said uncertainly. "Well, uh, thanks I guess…"

"We've decided that Raph is going to accompany you to work," Leo said, changing the subject that Kara was clearly uncomfortable with.

She groaned in annoyance. "Leo," she nearly whined. "That _really _isn't necessary."

"Just for the first day. He needs to check it out for himself to see if it's safe."

"Don't you trust my judgment?"

"Of course I do, but a fully trained ninja can spot minute details that untrained people can't. Like I said, it's just for the first day," Leo reasoned.

Kara sighed in defeat. "Fine."

And so, after Alex bid his sister farewell and a wish good luck from their friends, Raphael grabbed his trench coat and hat and the two grumbling companions departed from the lair and into the snaking sewer tunnels, arms crossed and brows furrowed in annoyance.

"I can't believe this…" Raph grumbled.

"Yeah well, I'm not thrilled that you're here either," Kara said, rolling her eyes.

Raph turned his head to glare at her through the dark. "I meant you! How can ya possibly think that this is a _good _idea?"

"I'm not having this conversation again," she said calmly but with a firmness which did not go unnoticed. Raph muttered something under his breath and begrudgingly dropped the subject.

* * *

After arriving at Jen's Joint, Raphael sat in the darkest corner he could find and covered his face with a menu, only allowing his eyes to peep over the top of it. Kara went to greet her boss and co-workers.

"Morning," she said.

"Hey Kara! I see you weren't forced to endure the burden of wearing heels today," Jenny said perkily. She was a cheerful soul with a heart of gold. It seemed that whoever was around her couldn't resist the urge to return her warm smile and Kara found herself falling under her spell. She had her waist length dirty blonde hair securely tied in a bun, not one strand out of place. Her sparkling green eyes looked down on Kara with a kindness she had only ever witnessed once, a kindness which could only describe her mother. She was snapped out of her trance when the realisation of her incessant staring hit her.

"No, my friend was kind enough not to drug me and glue them to my feet… though I honestly think she wouldn't hesitate to if necessary," she said after clearing her throat, earning her a few giggles.

"I bet! Now, here are some of your co-workers," Jenny said. "This is Katy," she pointed to a girl with long dark brown hair, dark blue eyes and way too much black eye makeup. Kara had nothing against goth people. In fact, she admired them for their courage to stand out in a crowd, but this girl was wearing an expression which clearly suggested that Kara was going to have a bad first day.

"It's Catherine," she spat, causing Jenny to frown at her.

"And that's Melissa. She's new too. She only started working here last week," Jenny continued, pointing to a girl who was loudly chewing her gum. She had a burgundy died pixie haircut and various piercings: two studs in each ear, a gold hoop in her nose and another hoop in her left eyebrow. Her dull grey eyes looked Kara up and down before giving a short nod of greeting.

"'Sup," Melissa said.

Kara offered a brief, sharp (and an entirely fake) smile. She desperately hoped this job didn't involve interacting with these girls too much. She hated socialising. She found the act tedious and unnecessary. She had always preferred being on her own.

"Right," Jenny said. "Looks like the morning crowd is arriving. Let's get going!"

And so, the four girls departed, each with their own pad and pen.

"Let's get this over with," Kara muttered.

The day went on with Kara repeating the same routine of introducing herself to the customers, welcoming them to Jen's Joint, offering them the specials, taking their order, double checking for any drinks or sauces, reporting back to the kitchen and moving on to the next table. She acted smoothly with the customers, brushing over any social awkwardness she may have had, but even Raphael, from the darkness of his snug little corner, could tell that she was pretty uncomfortable.

_What I would give to be snuggled up with a book right now, _she thought.

Raph stayed pretty unnoticed. Melissa came to take his order but he replied with a short and gruff: "I'm still lookin.'"

She then responded with a roll of her eyes and a "whatever" as she continued to chew her mint flavoured gum.

"I think that guy's a stalker," She said when she approached Kara behind the counter.

"Who?" Kara questioned, slightly panicked at the thought of someone spying on her.

"That guy in the trench coat. He's been here for hours," Melissa said, looking him up and down. It was then Kara realised who the subject of their conversation was.

"Oh," She said with a slight sigh of relief. "That's just my friend. He's just checking up on me."

"He's been here for like, ever. Doesn't he have a job to go to or something?"

"Yeah, but… he takes night shifts. Don't worry he's only here for today, though." She saw him glance over in their direction, seeming to notice that he was suddenly the centre of attention. Kara offered him a brief wave, as did Melissa, but he only shook his head and looked away.

"Charming," Melissa commented.

"You have no idea…" Kara muttered sarcastically, quiet enough that it was inaudible.

* * *

Raphael had been sitting in that corner for what seemed like an eternity. It was now 12 o'clock and he was hungry and bored. He had thoroughly checked the surroundings multiple times and even he was convinced that it was perfectly safe.

He looked down when his stomach grumbled, begging for a large lunch. He looked around to see if Kara was nearby, so he could ask for some food. He supposed he should've ordered when that Melissa girl came over, but he didn't like the look of that girl. He especially didn't like the look of the other one, Catherine. He didn't like the way she looked at Kara. She hadn't made any move to hurt Kara in any way, but if glares could kill, Kara would've dropped dead the moment she walked in. Though, Kara paid no attention to the looks she was receiving from the goth.

He found Kara standing behind the counter, talking to Melissa. From the way they were glancing at him, he figured that he was being talked about. They both waved at him, to his surprise, but he just looked away, shaking his head and frowning.

A tap on his shoulder drew his attention to the redhead. She was leaning casually against the booth he was sitting on, fiddling with the pen in her hand.

"So what are you gonna have then?" She asked.

"I don't want anythin'" Raph said, waving his hand as if to dismiss the matter.

Kara raised her eyebrow. "Raph, I can hear your stomach grumbling from all the way over there. You've been here for ages. You're starving and bored. Order some food already!"

He rolled his eyes. "I don't like the thought of you servin' me."

"I don't like the thought of serving anyone, but here I am. So order or before I go get you something you probably won't like."

"Eh, surprise me," he said, shrugging. With a sigh of frustration and a rub of the temple, Kara turned on her heel and headed towards the kitchen. Raph had to smirk at the annoyance he caused her.

On the way she passed Catherine, who was carrying a bowl of vanilla ice cream, topped with chocolate sauce and scattered with sprinkles. As they passed, Catherine rammed her shoulder into Kara's, consequently knocking Kara to the ground – the bowl of ice cream going down with her. The back of her head slammed onto the polished wooden floor. With a comical _splat _the creamy desert fell onto her chest - shortly followed by the bowl - the impact causing the majority of chocolate sauce to splash onto her face. Every single person in the restaurant had their eyes glued to the two young women, even Jenny and Melissa.

From behind her, she heard Raphael abruptly rise from his seat and begin marching over to where she lay. However, before he could come close enough to be noticed by Catherine, she put her hand up to signal him to stop. She immediately heard his footsteps halt, but he made no move to return to his seat.

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry. But this should at least teach you not to get in my way," Catherine sneered, smirking down at her.

Kara smoothly got to her feet and placed the bowl on a nearby table then calmly turned towards Catherine.

"No need to be sorry, Sweetheart," Kara hissed quietly. "If this is how we're going to act from now on then I doubt there'll be any time for apologies. It's gonna take some time to make you realise that I'm not one to be messed with."

She wiped off the ice cream on her chest so her hands were full of ammunition. She marched up to and Kara smeared the sticky substance on Catherine's face, making sure to wipe her hands on the goth girl's suit. Catherine was dumbstruck, her mouth in a wide astonished "O." She lifted her hands to her face and removed the ice cream from her eyes, granting her visibility. She flicked her hands, creamy-white droplets splattering on the nearby customers.

Kara slowly walked behind her and whispered in her ear, "You need to know who you're dealing with before starting a war that you have no chance in." And with that, Kara made her way to the kitchen to clean up, leaving a fuming Catherine to clear up the mess.

"Actually, Kara," Jenny said, steeping out from behind the counter and intercepting Kara's path. "Why don't you take the rest of the day off. I'm sorry that this wasn't exactly the best introduction to a new job, but I assure you that it won't happen again. Right, Katy?" Jenny said sternly.

Catherine looked in their direction and glared before rolling her eyes and beginning to clean up the mess.

"It's okay, really. I'm sorry for the mess we made. I'll work an extra hour tomorrow or something to make up for it. I'll see you tomorrow," Kara said, offering a brief, but sincere, smile and heading out the door, Raph silently following. As they left they could hear Jenny apologising to the customers for the disturbance, though no one seemed bothered. Most looked thoroughly amused.

"You alright?" He asked when they were safely in the alley round the side of the building.

"Of course I am. It was just ice cream."

"Ya hit yer head pretty hard," he pointed out. She put her hand to the back of her head to feel the swollen bump.

"Just a little bump. Nothing to worry about," she said calmly, climbing down the manhole once Raphael removed the cover.

"So are ya gonna quit?" He asked hopefully, following her down the ladder.

Once they were both down and safely in the sewers, she glared at him through the dark. Though he couldn't see her, he knew that she was giving him a dirty look.

"What?" He asked defensively. "That Catherine chick ain't a nice character."

"I'm not going to quit because of a little incident. Besides, if I quit then I lose. I don't like losing," she said determinedly.

"Gee, I hadn't noticed," Raph remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Gee, I hadn't noticed," she mimicked, shoving him with enough force to startle him and send him toppling down to the ground. He got up with a frown and pointing an accusing finger at her.

"You'll pay for that," he warned.

Kara rolled her eyes. "Ooo, I'm quaking in my boots."

Raph couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face.


End file.
